Sin of youth
by Arianka
Summary: A little newcomer from Europe turns Diego's life upside down. NWZ
1. Chapter 1

Many thanks to **lbindner** for checking and to **Siean Riley** for encouraging me to write it down. I hope you will enjoy it too.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own characters and don't get any profits for my writing except from my own satisfaction.

**Sin of youth**

**Chapter one**

The stagecoach stopped by the tavern. Victoria looked, curious if there was a letter from one of her brothers, but the boy who was taking the post shook his head. Señorita Escalante wanted to go back to her duties, when an unusual sight caught her attention.

A girl, maybe ten-years old, got off the coach. Wearing a travelling dress, with dark braids and a colorful shawl around her arms, she looked mature and childish at the same time. After her a small nun appeared . Victoria rose her eyebrows. It wasn't often that she saw members of the clergy travelling through the pueblo; they usually chose the main roads and avoided little pueblos like Los Angeles. She was also surprised at the amount of luggage that the driver was taking from the coach's roof. Both travelers stood with their luggage and looked around, the girl with curiosity and fear, the nun like she had gotten lost.

"Welcome to Los Angeles." Victoria hurried from the porch and turned with a smile to the newcomers. "Can I help you?"

"Can you tell me, my dear, where we can find the de la Vega hacienda?" asked the sister. She looked as if she barely kept herself from holding the girl's hand.

"Two miles from here," answered the señorita. "Are you going to stay long in Los Angeles? I have free rooms in my tavern."

"I don't think so, señorita," began the nun again, but was interrupted by sergeant Mendoza, who saw them.

"My name is Jamie Mendoza," he introduced himself and straightened. "Let me welcome you to Los Angeles, and collect the traveler's tax."

"A tax?" the girl dared to say something for the first time. There was pure astonishment in her voice, but also curiosity, as if the sergeant had just told her about some local attraction. Victoria looked at her and realized that she had blue eyes.

"Sergeant Mendoza, wait a moment," Victoria scolded him. "Don't you see that they've both had a long trip? So, sister, do you want a room to refresh yourselves?"

"No, I can't," the nun refused and glanced at the tavern. "My coach is going in a moment, as soon as the horses are changed. And if you say there are three kilometers to the hacienda..." The sister looked helplessly at the child.

"You must have passed by it," said Victoria. "It's pity your driver didn't know about it. But, if I may ask, why are you looking for the de la Vegas?"

"They are her only relatives," answered the nun, pointing at the child. "I'm sister Evita, and this is Isabel Bonilla. She came here from Spain."

" Victoria Ecalante," the señorita finally introduced herself. She still couldn't understand the whole situation. "From Spain? All alone?"

"No, God forbid!" the sister seemed to be terrified by the thought of it. "Now we are almost there and it seems I will miss my coach. I have important business to do in Monterey in the name of my prioress.

"Don't worry. I will take Isabel to the hacienda," promised Victoria. "Sergeant, could you please help us with this luggage?"

"Si, señorita," Mendoza nodded, as curios as she was to find out who was this de la Vega relative who had made such a long journey. The nun looked at Victoria, unsure.

"How can I know I can trust you?" she asked.

"Don Diego and don Alejandro de la Vega are my friends," answered Victoria. "We can go to the church, to padre Benitez, if you want. He will confirm that."

"Si, sister, don't worry," added Mendoza. The nun hesitated, but it was Isabel who made the decision. She stepped forward and came to Victoria, staring at her with eyes shining from excitement. Then she looked at her patroness.

"You give me again to somebody else," she said insolently. "Don't worry, sister, I got used to being handled like a package. Fortunately, it's the last time!"

"My dear, you know no one could escort you whole way," sister Evita started to defend herself. "Go with God and don't do anything stupid!"

"Sister, are you coming?" called the driver, when he finished with the horses.

"Yes, yes. Good bye," said the sister. "Take care of her," she asked.

" Vaya con Dios, sister Evita!" called Isabel, when the sister hurried back to the coach. She looked at her, until the door closed and the stagecoach rode away. Then she turned to her new guardian.

"Isabel, you must be tired and hungry," said Victoria to her. The girl was curious, but she was visibly covering her nervousness.

"No, I don't want to eat anything," she denied. "I just want to go to the hacienda. Please, it means a lot to me."

"Very well," laughed the señorita. "Come on, I will take you."

xxx

"Have you ever been here?" asked Victoria. Together, they brought the carriage from the stable, because the girl didn't want to be left alone. "I don't remember you."

"No, señorita, never," answered the girl and took one of her trunks. "It's my first visit to America, I was born and raised in Madrid."

"And you had no family there?" señorita Escalante was surprised. It seemed unbelievable, that this girl had made such a long journey to get to her family. At the same time, Victoria was curious who she was to Diego. From what she remembered, Diego's mother had come from Spain, so maybe this was his little cousin? Or maybe a niece? Victoria didn't know Felicipapa's maiden name, so the girl's name was no clue.

"No." Isabel saddened. "When Mama died, I was left alone. She told me before her death that I have to go to Los Angeles in California and find Diego de la Vega. I set off a week later with padre Avalos, and then they sent me from one mission to another until I got here.

"Sorry, I didn't know," apologized Victoria. The girl was nine, at most ten years old. She had to be very little when Diego was in Madrid, but he might have known her parents. "And your father?" she asked, curious. Isabel threw her a narrow look and didn't answer. "And who is Diego to you?"

But the girl remained silent. She didn't say a word, when they packed all the luggage and then during the way to the hacienda.

xxx

"Victoria, what brings you here?" Diego greeted them politely. "And who is your charming partner?"

"Your relative, Diego. She asked me to bring her here," replied Victoria. The girl was staring at the young de la Vega with wide open eyes.

"Diego de la Vega?" repeated Isabel, as if she wanted to make sure of it. The young caballero nodded uncertainly. The reaction of the young lady overran his expectations.

"Papa!" the girl threw herself on his neck with a shout and tears in her eyes.

Diego was grateful for having a wall behind him, otherwise he would certainly have ended on the ground, hit by the momentum of the girl, but first of all – by the shock. He leaned involuntarily because the child's hands on his neck were pulling him down. _Papa?_ This child had called him "Papa"? Diego sent Victoria a pleading look, as if he was expecting some help from her, but his friend just stood there as shocked as he was and was staring at him with wide open eyes.

"I beg your pardon?" he managed to say finally, when the girl let him go and moved away, as if she wanted to have a closer look at him. "It... it must be some mistake," he stammered out.

"No." The girl stared at him impudently. "You are Diego de la Vega," she stated surely. Diego nodded.

"And you? What's your name?"

"Isabel Bonilla," replied little one and looked at him expectedly. Diego covered eyes with his hand. Now everything was clear.

"Magdalena," he whispered to himself. "Madre de Dios, you are Magdalena's daughter?"

"Si," nodded Isabel. "I have a letter from her. She told me where to go."

"Diego?" Victoria interrupted finally. "Isabel came here right from the road," she pointed. Diego shuddered.

"Of course, forgive me. Please, come in." The young de la Vega automatically led them into the house. He almost bumped into Felipe in the hall. Diego smiled sheepishly, seeing the questioning look of his foster-child.

"Felipe, this is Isabel Bonilla," he introduced the girl, because he couldn't bear the word 'daughter' even in his thoughts. "Isabel, this is Felipe."

"Who is this, Papa?" asked Isabel, interested in the boy. Felipe stared at Diego. "Nice to meet you, Felipe," the girl smiled to him.

"Ymmm... well..." the young de la Vega hesitantly looked around. "Victoria, if you could please wait in the living room... we will bring the luggage from your carriage," he said and fled, embracing Felipe with his arm. As soon as the door shut, the boy started gesturing wildly. Diego only sighed.

"Don't ask. Please, just don't ask," he begged. Felipe didn't let him go and still demanded an explanation. "I don't know, I don't know anything yet except from the fact that this little one is a daughter of the woman I... who was once close to me," Diego said finally and blushed, when Felipe gestured to the doors and pointed, how 'close' their relationship must have been. The young de la Vega didn't even have the energy to feel offended. His charge pushed him towards hacienda, letting him understand that he would take care of the luggage.

Victoria and little Isabel were sitting comfortably on the sofa, so Diego went to the kitchen and talked with Maria, before he came back to them. Señorita Escalante was still shocked, and the girl looked around with curiosity. If she had been alone, she would have certainly walked around the whole hacienda. When she saw Diego, she excitedly rose.

"Why didn't that boy greet me?" she asked. "It was rude."

"Felipe greeted you in his own way," explained Diego. "He's a deaf-mute. He's my charge, but I think we should talk about you. Sit down, please," he said, and when the girl sat again beside Victoria, he placed himself in the armchair. "Can you please tell me, how you ended up in Los Angeles?" Diego glanced again at his friend, but she didn't look like she was going to help him.

"Franciscan sisters helped me," answered Isabel. "I was left alone, and when my Mama died, I..."

"Magdalena is dead?" Diego interrupted her violently. The girl lowered her head, "What happened?"

"The sisters didn't tell me," Isabel looked at him with wet eyes. "I know that mama was sick, and the last two months we lived in a monastery. She told me then, that... that..." the girl shuttered and began to shiver. "that when she died, I would have to go to father. There is no one in Madrid, who would take care of me and mama didn't want me to end in the orphanage." Isabel looked so miserable, that Victoria moved towards her and embraced her. Diego leaned elbows against his knees and hid his face in hands. He hadn't thought that after so many years the news about Magdalena's death would hurt him so much. He wasn't surprised, he had expected something like that since the girl told him, whose daughter she was, but still...

"How old are you?" Diego finally raised his head and met the sight of two pairs of eyes – one, blue, so similar to his own, shining with curiosity and sadness, and second, dark, at this moment sending him thunderbolts. Dios, Victoria was mad at him. Why? Because of this child, or his behavior?

"I will be nine in October," answered the girl. Diego closed his eyes for a moment and counted. Yes, it would fit... "Mama told me to give it to you," remembered Isabel and took a small purse from under her dress. She untied the string and dragged out an envelope. She leaned forward and gave it to Diego, who involuntarily took it. He took out a letter, stretched it and started reading.

_Dear Diego,_

_I know that after so many years you might not even remember me after the way we parted. I wouldn't write to you, if it was not necessary. I have no choice now, I probably write these words in my last days, and I think I should explain everything._

_This quarrel that was our last meeting – believe me, I still regret it ended that way. I was young, we both were. My parents, when they got to know about our romance, forced me to break it at once. Not a single word from what I told you then was true. A few weeks later I realized I was expecting. My parents sent me at the countryside, to our family, and forbade me any contact with you. I had then enough time to think about everything. Me – a girl form city, a daughter of a merchant, but only a burgher. You – a wealthy caballero from California, with a knighted past reaching further than you knew, related to the royal family. A child conceived from a romance between us would have ruined your reputation in Madrid, and I didn't want that. So when I came back over a year later, alone, but with our daughter, I never said a word. I saw you sometimes, you me – probably never. You wouldn't get to know about Isabel, but my family doesn't accept her. Maybe my parents would provide for her life, but they are both dead, and my brothers don't want to know her. I have no one to take care of Isabel, and I know she would be unhappy in an orphanage. She's a good child, full of energy and curiosity. I know she has it from you. I ask you to take your responsibilities when I won't be able. I didn't want to do it, but you owe it to her, she's your daughter._

_Isabel knows you from my stories. I didn't want her to grow up not knowing, who her father is. I don't know how much she understood, but I tried to explain to her what was between you and me. Just know one thing – she never heard a bad word about you. I think she loves the image of father she has made in her head, and I believe she will love you if only you let her. And forgive me, if you can. It's too late for us to meet again, but I entrust to you, what I have the most precious – our daughter. Take good care of her._

_Forever yours,_

_Magdalena_

"Dios... Dios," groaned Diego. „You are my child," he said pointlessly.

"So, Diego de la Vega has a more interesting past than I thought," said Victoria. It seemed that she didn't know if she should be surprised, angry or disgusted. "That's why you never said anything about these years in Madrid?"

"No..." the young de la Vega sent her a pleading look. "Oh, Felipe, is the room ready?" he asked suddenly, because the boy entered the room. "Come on, Isabel, I will show you your room," he said softly to the girl and rose. The girl stood up enthusiastically.

"Papa? Does it mean I can stay here?" she asked, excited.

"Of course, for now," replied Diego, but his thoughts were somewhere far away. "Come," he repeated, and clumsily embraced his daughter with his arm. He led her to one of the guestrooms, the one that was the closest to his own bedroom, he realized. Maria was still there. She welcomed the girl with a warm smile and then sent to the young de la Vega a questioning look from under her raised eyebrows. Diego thought that he had better start getting used to it, if he had agreed that Isabel could stay at the hacienda. Father will be next... Father! Diego almost pushed a vase from the cupboard when he realized what was waiting for him.

"You will surely want to refresh yourself and get changed," he said to the girl, not knowing how to react. "Stay in the hacienda, and if you need something, ask Maria or Felipe. I have to go now," he finished clumsily and sneaked into the corridor. Victoria understood his pleading look and followed.

"Who was she? This Magdalena?" she asked quietly, when they went away from the room. Diego sighed.

"Someone I loved during my first year of studies," he replied shortly. "We parted, and I had no idea that... about Isabel."

"Weeell," Victoria looked at him skeptically, as if she was thinking he hadn't told her everything.

"Victoria, excuse me, but I have to go," Diego didn't let her say anything else. "My father will be here soon, I'd rather tell him without witnesses. I'm afraid his reaction might be... violent."

"I bet it will," snorted Victoria. "Go, I will stay with Isabel. I think she feels comfortable with me. Pilar will take care of the tavern and close for siesta," she added softly, having mercy on Diego.

"Gracias, Victoria. You're a good friend," sighed Diego. The idea of leaving Isabel only with Felipe, because he knew Maria was busy, worried him and he felt better knowing, that Victoria would be there to keep an eye on his... daughter.

"You're welcome, Diego," Victoria smiled to him. "Your daughter is charming," she admitted joyfully, and couldn't help but laugh when she saw the face Diego had made when he heard the word "daughter". The young de la Vega turned on his heel and escaped as if he was hunted by devils.

Victoria smiled to herself. Diego was so authentically terrified by the fact that he was a father, and what's more, a father of quite a big girl, that he looked like an image of bad luck. She herself couldn't shake off the shock. No, not because Diego's child had travelled half of the world to find her father, but rather because of the fact that Diego was even able to be involved in a romance. The young de la Vega she knew, acted as if he wasn't interested in women, and he never said a word about his feelings to the woman he secretly loved, as he had once confessed. Victoria considered her friend as too shy to say anything, so her attempt to imagine him being involved into a romance, and rather a romance emotional enough to end up with little, impulsive Isabel, ended with laugh full of disbelief. And yet... Isabel was too much like her father for Victoria to doubt it. What she had got to know made her ask herself questions about what else she didn't know about her friend who seemed not to have any mysteries. Isabel was a puzzle also, so Victoria returned to her room.

What she saw surprised her. Isabel, wearing a clean, but creased, green dress, with dissolved hair, was sitting on the bed and crying. The entire contents of her trunk were laying on the floor.

"Isabel, what happened?" Victoria hurried to her and crouched beside her to see her face.

"He doesn't want me," sobbed the girl. "I thought... mama said... he's my papa! And he doesn't want me, know me, love me!" she cried.

"Shhh, it's not this way," said Victoria softly. "You're quite a surprise."

"But he doesn't want me!" repeated Isabel stubbornly. "He escaped!"

"No, Isabel, no. Understand, Diego is surprised, he needs time to get used to having a daughter, and such a beautiful daughter," the señorita started to explain.

"So why did he go away? Why didn't he want to get to know me?" asked the little one. Victoria sighed. How should she explain to the girl, that she was trouble to her friend, and a humiliating one?

"It's not so." Victoria sat down on the bed and embraced Isabel. "Diego went to talk to his father, he wanted to warn him. You know, it's not every day that you learn the fact that you have a daughter or a granddaughter, and one so grown up," she smiled. "I'm sure Diego will love you."

"You think so?" the girl looked at her, encouraged. "What is he like? Mama said..."

"Yes?" Now it was Victoria's eyes that shone with curiosity. "How did your mother described Diego? You know, he doesn't usually speak about this time," she winked to her knowingly. Isabel sat more comfortably on the bed and sent Victoria a smile that meant sharing some secrets. She started talking enthusiastically not about Diego, but about her mother, this mysterious Magdalena, about whom Diego didn't want to tell her anything. When Isabel came to what her mother had told her about de la Vega, Victoria's eyes opened wide with surprise. From the description she got, came a man so different from the one she knew. But, did she really know her friend? Her astonishment grew even higher, when Isabel asked suddenly:

"Do you think he will show me his fencing? Do you have some fencing competitions here?"

"Competitions?" repeated Victoria. "They may be in Monterey, but here – very rarely. It's a small pueblo, you'd more likely see cattle auctions or skills competitions between vaqueros."

"Pity... But the caballeros do like fencing, don't they? Mama said that papa took part in many competitions."

"Diego? In fencing competitions?" Victoria snorted in disbelief. "Oh, I don't think so. Diego doesn't even carry a sword."

"But he did carry one in Madrid! And he was very good!" scolded the girl. "Mama went to watch many competitions, even when I was born, and when I was little. She said that he was always getting high marks, that he was winning!"

"But..." started Victoria and broke off. This day had already showed, that Diego was able to do more than he was expected to do. So if Isabel affirmed that according to her mother's tales Diego not only knew, how to hold a sword, but he could also use it, maybe there was truth in it. She would have to ask Diego later.

EDIT: As **pamz** suggested, I changed "dad" for "papa" and "mum" for "mama". Thanks for mentioning it, pamz!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you so much for your reviews! I will do my best to translate next chapters as soon as possible. And, as always, many, many thanks to **lbindner**, who takes care of my translations :)

Enjoy!

**Chapter two**

The May sun shone right into his eyes and Diego regretted that he hadn't taken his hat, but this beautiful day couldn't take away the awareness of what he had to do. How was he going to tell his father that for years he'd had the granddaughter he wanted so much? Accepting Isabel and Diego couldn't do it any other way when she was his daughter was ruining his reputation and he knew it well. Worse, it disgraced the de la Vega name more than his dreamt marriage with Victoria.

The thoughts of Victoria made him realize that he had one more matter to solve, but now he had to put that out of his mind, as he saw his father on the road. At the sight of his son, don Alejandro rushed Dulcinea and quickly joined him.

"Something happened?" he asked, seeing Diego's unsure expression.

"Yes... No... We need to talk."

"Right here? We will be soon at home," Alejandro pointed out. His son felt even more uncomfortable at the mention of the hacienda.

"Well... I would like to talk before we reach home," Diego explained nervously. "Please, it won't take long. We can stop beside these trees," he suggested, regretting that he hadn't drunk anything strong before leaving, or rather fleeing from the hacienda. Maybe it would be easier now to utter what he had to tell his father.

"Alright, Diego." Alejandro agreed, intrigued to find out what troubled his son so much. They reached the clump of trees, and the elder de la Vega was surprised that Diego dismounted and suggested him that he do the same.

"So, Diego? What happened that you can't tell me at home?" asked Alejandro. Diego was silent for a moment.

"You will be angry when I tell you," he answered shyly. "You will be disappointed with me and disgusted."

"Dios, Diego! What have you done?" exclaimed Alejandro. The young de la Vega inhaled deeply a few times before he found courage.

"I... I have a daughter."

"It's won..." Alejandro began involuntarily, because he'd waited for such information for a long time, before he fully understood what his son was tell him. "What? What do you mean, you have a daughter?"

"That's the problem," sighed Diego. "But you don't know everything yet."

"Dios, what else do I not know? Don't tell me she has a twin brother. By the way, when did you find out?"

"About an hour ago, or so. Let me explain," begged Diego.

"You'd better have a good explanation," his father warned him. The anger was beginning to rise in him and overcome the shock that had come after his son's revelation. But Diego wasn't finished yet.

"No, thank God, she has no siblings. But you should know that Isabel is eight and a half years old and she has just come from Madrid," Diego started explaining. Surprisingly, his father didn't interrupt him, so he began to talk quickly for fear he would not have enough courage to confess everything. "Her mother, Magdalena Bonilla, was my... We were together a few months during my first year of studies. Then, as I just learned, her family forced her to break with me. We didn't see each other, I had no idea about Isabel. And now Magdalena is dead and this little one came here." Diego went silent. He didn't realize he was playing with Esperanza's reins, looking at the ground. He didn't dare look at his father, he was waiting for his scolding.

"How dared you!" growled Alejandro. He didn't have to shout. "You went to Madrid for your studies! I was so proud you would have a better education than I do, that you would go to Madrid and learn! I considered you a responsible adolescent, and you proved to be a stupid stripling, who felt free so far away from his father! How could you disgrace our name like this?"

"Father... I was nineteen, Magdalena was two years older. We... Yes, it went too far, but..."

"No buts, Diego!" Alejandro cut off. "Who knows about this bastard?" he asked. Diego was miffed when he heard what his father called his granddaughter, but he didn't say anything.

"Victoria, Felipe, Maria... I don't know if anyone else, I think Isabel didn't say anything in the pueblo," replied Diego uncertainly.

"Good, no one should say a word about her," Alejandro started planning. "Go home and make sure no one else will learn about her, I will go and talk to padre Benitez. We will send her to the mission in Santa Barbara."

"What?" Diego stared at him in astonishment. "Send?" Father, you are talking about my child!"

"About your bastard," retorted Alejandro. "I will not tolerate her under my roof. The girl will go to the mission and will be raised there. With a bit of luck, no one will know about her."

"No!" protested Diego. "I won't let you do this to her! She came here from Madrid, do you understand it? She came just to find her father and not to be raised in an orphanage! And I am her father!"

"Don't remind me of that! You embarrassed me enough! Why do you care for that child?"

"Because this child, this little Isabel, is innocent! She's not guilty where she is from," hissed Diego. He had known the talk with his father would be hard, but he hadn't expected this. Now it was he who was getting angry. "It's not her fault and I won't let you harm her!"

"And what do you want to do? Will you just let her live in our hacienda?"

"Not 'just'. I will go with her to our lawyer and make it all formal," explained Diego, making his plans while speaking. Isabel was his, and the respect for Magdalena and his sense of responsibility didn't let him just send her away.

"You don't really think I will let you give her our name?" exclaimed Alejandro. For a moment he looked as if he wanted to send his son to the ground with a slap, but he took control of himself.

"It seems it's my decision to accept my daughter or not," retorted Diego. "With all respect, father, you can't forbid me. But... Maybe we should talk about it later, without emotions," he suggested suddenly with a completely different, soft voice. Alejandro creased his eyebrows, but didn't say anything. "I want to ask you for one thing. She's a nice child, I don't want to hurt her. I don't know how much she knows about relations, or if she understands all the mess she's caused."

"Alright, Diego," Alejandro agreed unwillingly. "I won't say a bad word in her presence. We will talk in the evening."

"Gracias, father. May we come back home?"

"Yes," the elder de la Vega mounted Dulcinea. "But tell me, who her mother was? What happened to her?"

"Here, read yourself," replied Diego and gave him the letter. His father took it and headed home without a word.

xxx

At the hacienda Diego felt even more unsure. The talk with his father had made him fully realize that he should have a expected reaction like his. If he was going to give this child his name, and claim her as his, he would have to take into account the disapproval of the people. But for now he was determined to convince at least his father to his... daughter.

"Can you wait in the living room? I will bring her," he suggested. "And really, please..."

"Alright, Diego," Alejandro calmed him down. "I promised I won't react violently in the presence of this child. Go for her."

Diego sighed, knowing that being calm cost his father a lot, and he left. He knocked to Isabel's room and waited a moment, and when he didn't get answer, he opened the door. There was no one inside. A little panicked, he went further. Felipe, when asked about the girl, just shrugged his shoulders. Victoria must have already gone, because there wasn't her carriage in front of the hacienda, but where was Isabel? Led by his intuition, Diego went to the kitchen and sighed, relieved. The little one sat by the table, and an empty plate showed that both women had taken care of her. The girl smiled to him shyly, as if she had lost her previous insolence.

"Come, you will meet my father," said Diego, as shy as she was. Isabel stood up and grabbed his hand without any hesitation. The young de la Vega thought that she had probably walked like this with her mother and now she repeated her habits with her father. Having his heart in his soul, he grabbed tighter the girl's hand, smoothed her dress and led her to the living room.

xxx

"So, what are you going to do?" asked Alejandro. They both sat in his office, finally alone. Maria had put Isabel to sleep half an hour earlier, so they could talk freely now.

Diego thought about the answer. He had watched his father the entire afternoon and was glad, because Isabel truly hadn't seen Alejandro's displeasure. Don Alejandro had soon softened and put away his official tone, so Diego could presume that he would no longer hear such harsh reproaches. The little one was charming, and his father had dreamt about grandchildren too long not to like her now. And he, Diego, could and wanted to use it.

"She came here from Madrid," he repeated his previous argument. "She's a good girl, so joyful... It would be a pity to send her away, where she would be raised with many other children and no one would pay attention to her. I would like her to stay."

"Do you really know what this means?" asked Alejandro consciously. "Will you be able to bear people's biting comments? Diego, face the truth. You are a loner, will you stand the fact that everyone will be talking about you?"

"Father, I want Isabel to be my daughter. Officially, as it should be," said Diego seriously. "I owe it to her and to Magdalena."

"You know that you might not find a wife who will accept a husband with a child from an illegitimate bed," pointed Alejandro. Diego groaned silently. He didn't, he really didn't want to move to this topic. His probable marriage had been a touchy subject for the last few years, and the elder de la Vega was more and more determined to find his son a wife. From his side, Diego wasn't interested in any young woman suggested to him more or less openly by his father, and about the one he secretly loved, he never mentioned. Now the thought of Victoria was doubly painful. Isabel made him realize that he was no longer a bachelor, but also a father, so Zorro would never have as much freedom as he used to.

"Father, let's not talk about it," said Diego. "You know what I think about it. If I ever find a woman I love, and who would love me, Isabel won't be disaster. And if she will... It would mean there is no compassion in her, and I don't want such a partner. It's not about understanding for what I did when I was young, but about Isabel. She's innocent," he repeated one more time. Alejandro stared at his son, surprised, because he really rarely, if ever, opened up to him like this.

"Alright... But did you think," he begun carefully, "how you are going to tell people about it? Maybe... Maybe you can tell them that Isabel is your adopted daughter? It wouldn't cause so much rumor."

"No," there was an immediate answer. "I couldn't do that to Felipe."

"I beg your pardon?" asked Alejandro, not understanding.

"Father, Felipe has lived with us so many years, he is partly like my son, partly like my younger brother," Diego explained patiently. "And yet, despite all these years, I haven't done anything about adopting him, though I thought about it. How would he feel, if I suddenly said, that I am going to adopt a girl I barely know? And it doesn't matter what's the truth. No, I couldn't hurt him like this."

"You're right," agreed Alejandro. "But I don't like what your decision will cause."

"Me too," admitted Diego grimly. He felt sick at the thought of all the gossips and malicious comments, but he knew it would calm, if given enough time. Another consequence of this sin of youth bothered him, but he couldn't tell his father about it.

"Think about it, Diego," advised his father. Diego nodded absently.

"Si, father," he replied, though he had already made his decision. "Good night," he said and left. He didn't see a little silhouette curled behind the locker on the corridor.

xxx

The tavern was closed, but someone knocked loudly on the main doors. Victoria, busy in the kitchen, ignored it at first, but when the knocking didn't stop, she got irritated and went, wanting to tell whoever it was that she's not serving now. She unlocked the door and blinked rapidly.

On the porch stood a girl, wearing a familiar-looking, green dress. Even if Victoria had had any doubts, the dark braids with awry tied ribbons and blue eyes spoke for themselves.

"Isabel? What are you doing here?"

"I escaped," answered the girl resolutely. Victoria invited her inside and then saw, that the girl must have been crying.

"You escaped?" repeated señorita Escalante. "And, as I see, on Esperanza?" she added, seeing the characteristic palomino standing by the porch. Isabel nodded, and Victoria had an impression that she was going to cry again.

"May I stay? Please." The girl looked at her pleadingly. Victoria fought a desire to mount her own mare and take the little one immediately back to the hacienda. And, of course, demand an explanation as to what Diego had done, that Isabel decided to escape. Señorita Escalante thought then that Isabel could give her some explanations as well.

"Alright, come in and go to the kitchen," she ordered. "I will take Esperanza to the stable and will be right back," she said. She took the mare and smiled to herself. Isabel perfectly chose her father's smooth Esperanza. 'I wonder how Diego will do with another horse?' she thought half-mockingly. The memory of her friend made her wonder again about what must have happened at the hacienda, that it had made Isabel run away in darkness in the place she hadn't known. And why the little one decided to come to her from all people. Boiling with curiosity, she left Esperanza and returned to the tavern, closing the main door again.

"Will you tell me now, what happened?"

"Papa doesn't want me," replied Isabel. "You said he needs time, but he doesn't even want to get to know me!"

"Why do you think so?" asked Victoria, not convinced that the girl was telling the truth. Her friend, despite his shock, had given the opposite impression to her.

"All day he and don Alejandro were nice to me, but only when I was with them," began Isabel. Victoria noticed that she didn't call the elder de la Vega 'grandfather'. "I heard them talk when they thought I was sleeping."

"You eavesdropped? You shouldn't have," pointed out Victoria.

"I know, but they were talking about me!" the girl defended herself. "They said I'm trouble and that they don't want me at the hacienda. That I will ruin papa's reputation. And no one will want him. It would be better, if I disappeared!" she exclaimed, rancorous, but didn't start crying.

Señorita Escalante didn't answer at once. She didn't want to discuss with Isabel about the mess she was causing. It should be Diego, who was her father, and it was his duty to explain it to his daughter in a way he considered proper. She could guess what raw don Alejandro probably had with his son, but it didn't change the fact that they should have thought about the girl's feelings. But what one could expect from a widower and a bachelor? They should have been more careful and watched the girl better, but for this a woman's hand was needed at the hacienda.

"I'm sure Diego will worry," she said finally.

"He won't," insisted Isabel.

"I bet, he will look for you as soon as he realizes you are not at the hacienda," replied Victoria contrarily.

"I don't believe you."

"You will see." The señorita assured her with a smile. "You will stay with me for the night. Come, I will prepare you a room," she said, seeing that the girl fought against a yawn. The little one didn't look convinced, but followed her.

"You have to promise me one thing," reserved Victoria, when Isabel was finally in bed. "Promise me, you won't escape from here. It's dangerous."

"I won't," the girl promised solemnly. "Señorita Victoria? Thank you for letting me stay."

"Good night, Isabel," Victoria smiled to her. She closed the door, and then took the tavern keys to her room, in case her little guest would like to escape. Who did she inherit that personality from? Surely not from Diego. Victoria would rather think that she had her grandfather's temperament. Victoria hoped she wasn't mistaken in her calculations, otherwise Isabel would be very disappointed.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Many thanks to **lbindner** for checking my story :)

**Chapter three**

The sun coming through the curtains and shining right on his face made him realize it was quite late. Diego reluctantly noticed, that it was after nine in the morning and he thought for a moment, why he didn't get enough sleep this time. What Zorro had had to do...? He thought sleepily, that it must have been worse with him, if he couldn't remember why he had gone out last night. And then he remembered and jumped off the bed. It... it wasn't a nightmare, but truth! He really had a daughter, and last night he just took Toronado for a ride, because he wanted to think in peace. He had made his decision earlier, but he couldn't not consider the consequences his father had showed him. Diego came back after three o'clock, well refreshed, but he couldn't sleep.

Diego dressed and left his room, wanting to see for himself that Isabel wasn't just in his imagination. He quietly opened the door to her room, supposing that the girl was still sleeping after the last tiring day. A nightdress laying on the floor and the clothes from the trunk told him that maybe his daughter wasn't an imagination, but right now she certainly wasn't here.

"Isabel?" He called, just to make sure. Silence answered him, so he left. Taught by his previous experience, he went straight to the kitchen, but Maria just told him, that his daughter must have been still sleeping, because she hadn't seen her this morning. When his father also said the same, Diego started worrying. He went around the hacienda, checked the garden, and then, really upset, went back to the girl's room. A closer look on her bed told him, that Isabel certainly hadn't slept in the hacienda the previous night, or at least – not in this room. Diego left, slamming the door behind him and fell on Felipe.

"What?" he asked subconsciously, as the boy started signing wildly to him. "A horse? Missing?" he asked chaotically, but the boy led him to the stables. An empty box, where Esperanza should have been told him the rest. Felipe was worried about the missing horse, but Diego didn't even think about it.

"Isabel. She must have taken Esperanza," he said, saddling the first horse that stood near him. "Prepare yourself, we have to find her. I will tell father."

A few minutes later, Diego, don Alejandro and Felipe left the hacienda. They decided to look around first, because Isabel probably hadn't gone far from home. Diego feared only that she might have fallen somewhere from the tall Esperanza and wounded herself. Alejandro watched his son's rising panic in silent surprise and affirmed his conviction that Diego knew what he was doing, when he decided to claim Isabel as his daughter. And that the consequences would not matter to him.

"I think she probably went to the pueblo, but if she got lost..." began Diego.

"I will go the other way," suggested Alejandro. "You two check the road to the pueblo. If we don't find her, we will have to organize a search. Good luck, son!" he added and rode away.

"Alright, Felipe. We will split up by that hill, you will go left," said the young de la Vega, when they were left alone. "Check if she didn't turn to that path there."

The boy protested, suggesting that he would not be able to communicate with the girl, but Diego didn't seem to bother.

"If you find her, you have my permission to take her back home, even if it means taking her on your saddle," he replied. "But I hope she will be wise enough to go with you. I hope we will find her," he added quietly.

xxx

"See? I told you, Papa is happy I disappeared."

Victoria wanted to utter curses. Isabel had sat in her kitchen all morning and watched her, and she was saying that statement every ten minutes. Victoria was tired of explaining Diego's habits to the girl, including the one of getting up late. When they were already on their feet, Diego might still have been sleeping and didn't even know about his daughter's absence. And even if he already started looking for her, no one said he would start searching in the pueblo.

"Isabel, stop it." Victoria finally got irritated. "Come, we will bring some water," she said and gave the girl a pitcher to fill. They had agreed previously, that Isabel would say she was a de la Vega relative, but nothing more. Also the fact that she was staying by Victoria should remain unexplained. The girl agreed that Diego should explain everything in the way he wanted. Victoria felt really sorry for him, but he partly deserved it because he couldn't guard his child in the hacienda. She just hadn't expected it to happen so soon, and right on the plaza.

Victoria and Isabel were taking water with two other women, when Diego de la Vega, with tousled hair, wearing a stained shirt, rode into the plaza. At the sight of him Isabel crouched behind the fountain, so that the women covered her.

"Buenos dias, Victoria," said Diego and dismounted a sorrel stallion Victoria had never seen before.

"Has something happened?" asked the señorita, but she couldn't hide her smile. "Didn't your new mount like you?"

"What?" De la Vega stared at her in astonishment. "What are you..." he started and then realized, what Victoria was referring to. "No, he made no troubles. But... Victoria... Isabel..." he dropped helplessly, seeing the curious gazes on himself, and he looked at her suspiciously.

"I think I have your loss." The señorita smiled playfully, having mercy for her friend. Isabel rose from behind the women.

"Gracias a Dios!" exclaimed Diego when he saw his daughter. He came quickly to her and embraced her clumsily. "Isabel, what have you been thinking?" he asked more sharply, still angry. "Why did you leave the hacienda alone?"

The girl stared at him, then at Victoria, who sent her a smile saying 'I told you'. She was surprised, both by her father's presence and his feelings towards her, but she wasn't so easy to convince.

"Why should I stay?" she asked bluntly. "You don't want me there," she said. Her voice attracted people's attention, which made Diego even more uncomfortable.

"Don't want you?" repeated Diego. "Isabel, if I hadn't cared for you, I wouldn't have sent Felipe to look for you in the hills, I wouldn't have been searching every hole by the road, fearing that you had fallen somewhere from the horse."

"I can ride," protested the girl.

"But you don't know the area and you didn't know the horse. Because you did take Esperanza, didn't you?"

"She's in my stable," said Victoria, really curious how her friend was going to deal with this all, and pleased that she had judged him well. The incident with his impudent daughter must have been very hard for him, especially in the presence of so many witnesses.

"I did," admitted Isabel. "I wanted to escape. I don't want you to send me away!" she suddenly started shouting with tears in her eyes. "Do you think I don't know what people do with children like me? Mama thought it would be different here, that's why she ordered me to come here. Her family didn't want me either!" The girl was crying openly now. Victoria prevented herself from coming forward and embracing her. No, she said silently to herself, Diego had to deal with this alone, though he was visibly afraid of the child's tears.

"Dios!" he moaned. Diego knelt and put his hands on the girl's shoulders. "Isabel, you are my daughter and I'm not going to send you anywhere," he promised solemnly.

The plaza bustled. Though Diego had not said it very loudly, people moved and started whispering first, and then commenting aloud. Had don Diego de la Vega just called this girl his daughter? If so, where did she come from? And who was her mother?

"Really?" The girl, unaware of the rumor she had just caused, looked at her father with eyes shining with tears. "You won't send me away?"

"No," promised Diego again. "You don't even realize how scared I was when I saw you were missing."

"What's going on here?" They suddenly heard the alcalde's voice. Ignacio de Soto tried to push himself through the crowd to see what was the reason of this meeting. "De la Vega?" he asked surprised. In fact, the young caballero kneeling in front of a foreign girl, señorita Escalante and the crowd of bystanders – it all made an uncommon view.

"Good morning, Ignacio." Diego stood up and managed to smile. He forced himself to seem relaxed, but he couldn't hide his uneasiness.

"What is the meaning of this, Diego?" asked de Soto again. "You don't really want to spend this afternoon in the jail for disturbing the peace, do you?" he laughed mockingly.

"No, of course not." Diego's smile was rather nervous.

"And I assume it's not the best place you'd like to show your daughter first in Los Angeles." The last words de Soto said with visible disregard. He must have heard the last part of the conversation between Diego and Isabel. "You can't even deal with a child." The alcalde shook his head with pity. "By the way, I'm surprised you found a woman you managed to take to your bed."

Diego blushed with embarrassment and anger, but before he could think of a reply suitable for the young de la Vega, Isabel stepped forward.

"You are talking about my Mama!" she cried squeakily. "And to my Papa!" she added. Diego glanced at her, surprised by her sudden change of mind.

"Ignacio, you are insulting a woman who is dead," he said warningly, embracing his daughter at the same time to prevent her from doing something stupid.

"A lover. Your lover," snorted the alcalde. "I don't have time for such stupidities. And you'd better teach your bastard manners and respect," he added and turned to go back to his office.

Victoria was boiling with anger. She knew Ignacio de Soto showed no respect to her friend, but these words were pure disregard. She wanted to go to de Soto and tell him few words of truth, if Diego couldn't. She was angry at both of them, but she could understand Diego had enough of everything. The young de la Vega must have guessed what she was about to do, because he grabbed her hand.

"Victoria, please, don't make a scene," he whispered pleadingly. With his other hand, he was holding Isabel, who muttered something under her nose. Victoria could swear that these words weren't suitable for a well educated girl, but well, Isabel had traveled by ship and wandered from one place to another before she reached Los Angeles, so she must have had enough occasions to learn some curses. Señorita Escalante had no doubts, that very few nuns would have been able to control that nosy girl.

"We already made," she answered quietly.

"Who was he? How dared he!" stormed Isabel. "Why didn't you do anything?"

"Isabel..." Diego tried to interfere.

"He insulted Mama and you! And me! Why..."

"Isabel that's enough!" Her father finally growled at her. "Mind your words, I don't want you to embarrass me," he rebuked her quietly, so only she, and unfortunately Victoria heard him. "Oh, and for your information, Ignacio de Soto is our acting alcalde," he said with visible reluctance. "I don't want you to get yourself into troubles right from the very beginning, since I'm responsible for you. No matter how others treat you, I want you to treat them with respect."

"But why didn't you do anything?" Isabel was stubborn. "If we were in Madrid, there would already be a duel! You could best him!"

Now Diego really lost countenance. The little one had just said he should have dueled. Right, he would have, but no one expected him to do so. No one except for her. What really worried him, was Isabel's certainty that he would be able to defeat de Soto in a duel, when officially he maybe could distinguish the ends of the sword, but knew nothing more. In all this mess caused first by appearance, then disappearance of his daughter, Diego missed one detail. If Isabel knew all what Magdalena remembered about him... He might have real troubles. Even now he didn't like Victoria's creased eyebrows, not in disbelief, but in thoughtfulness, as if she was trying to remind herself of something.

"I don't think so," Diego said finally with embarrassment. "We're not in Madrid anymore."

"But Mama said..." The girl looked at him with regret, and then turned on her heels and ran to the tavern.

"She said the same yesterday," said Victoria. Diego sent her a questioning look. "When we were alone, we talked a bit. Did you really take part in fencing competitions?" she asked, really curious. She was surprised by her friend's panic. What else had happened during his studies in Spain?

"I did really strange things on my first year," he said finally, somehow embarrassed. "And yes, I did try myself in fencing, but I gave up. It wasn't for me," he admitted. "And I never knew enough to win with de Soto, especially after so many years."

"Why did you give up fencing?" interrogated Victoria, thinking at the same time, why she had never asked Diego about it. It wasn't just that Diego never took the blade, Victoria remembered too well both of the cases when her friend had challenged somebody. Once he did it because of his father, once – because of her. And although Zorro had saved Diego from the first one, the second actually did take place. Victoria was terrified then, thinking that her friend was going to die, but he managed to end just with a sprained ankle. "And have you really given up?" she asked suddenly. "Isabel told me about competitions you won."

"Children have good imagination," smiled Diego. "And I... let's say that one unpleasant incident discouraged me from fencing," he added, embarrassed. He flicked his sleeve with a nervous movement. He must have dirtied himself when he was looking for his daughter. Victoria understood that she had touched some unpleasant and sensitive subject.

"Have you seen yourself in the mirror today?" she asked, changing the topic.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Diego rose his eyebrows in surprise.

"So come and look again."

xxx

Isabel felt offended half of the day, after Diego had convinced her to leave Victoria and go back to the hacienda with him. Of course, he could have forced her to go, but the idea of making another scene in the plaza effectively discouraged him. The little one bore him a grudge for letting the alcalde talk that way about her and she didn't believe neither him nor Victoria, that he always reacted like that. Diego finally got irritated and told her that they had to go home and tell don Alejandro, that she had been found. This convinced Isabel to say good bye to Victoria. But before they left, Diego asked her friend for a talk, while Isabel went to the stable to see the mare she had taken the previous day.

"Why didn't you send word to the hacienda?" asked Diego with offence. "We wouldn't have worried so much."

"You should have watched your child," Victoria pointed out and gave him a cup of coffee.

"How could I know she would run away?" asked Diego. "Victoria, I have no idea how to behave towards her," he admitted. "Felipe is the only child I have ever dealt with, but he is different."

"I purposely didn't tell you anything," replied Victoria. "Isabel came here yesterday determined not to go back. She told me more or less the same she thing she said today – that you don't want her. I knew you would go and search for her anyway, so I wanted to prove to her, you care for her."

"Dios, she must have heard my conversation with father," realized the young de la Vega.

"How did don Alejandro react?"

"And what do you think? He's not delighted," said Diego shortly. "He would prefer, if nobody knows about Isabel."

"Well, it's a bit too late, don't you think?" snorted Victoria. "Everybody knows right now."

"I know," sighed Diego. "As I said, he isn't and won't be happy, but he already came to terms with the fact that he has a granddaughter," he said, and then looked up from his coffee and smiled shyly to Victoria. "I don't know how to thank you. For your care and your help. And..." he hesitated and went silent.

"Yes?"

"For not judging me. It... This all... I don't..." he lost himself.

"You're welcome, Diego." Victoria smiled to him encouragingly. "You will be a good father."

xxx

Later at the hacienda, after a long talk first with Isabel, then with both her and his father, Diego thought he would rather spend a day at the pathless tracks chasing the bandits as Zorro. Isabel was a sweet and lovely child, but she was charismatic and could get on one's nerves, especially somebody who wasn't used to children. Diego barely stopped himself from asking his father a question, if he also had used to turn the whole house upside down. He really wanted to talk about it, maybe recall some episodes from the past, but he knew how it would end. The young de la Vega would remind his father, how he had let him down, and Diego didn't want it, not now, when the understanding about Isabel was so fragile. That's why Diego finally sighed in relief, when Felipe took his daughter to show her around the hacienda. Now, in the evening, safely hidden in the cave, they could finally talk freely.

"So, what do you think about your little sister?" asked Diego, combing his mount. Recently Toronado wasn't pleased because of the lack of time Diego could spend with him.

Felipe grinned and made a suggestive gesture of dragging a knife on the neck, but then became serious.

"Yes, your sister," confirmed Diego, when he understood what Felipe meant. "You are as much my child as she is, if you want."

The boy looked at him with disbelief, surprised, but happy. Diego was his father and elder brother at the same time, and even though he was almost seventeen and wasn't a child anymore, he feared that Isabel's presence could change their bond. It seemed it wasn't going to happen.


	4. Chapter 4

Many thanks again to **lbindner** for checking my mistakes.

**Chapter four**

Isabel's coming hadn't destroyed the relationship between Diego and Felipe, but it had certainly changed the daily life in the hacienda. It wasn't bad at first, because Diego took his daughter to Monterey to make all the formalities with the de la Vega lawyer. Don Alejandro insisted that someone should go with them, but Diego was stubborn and said they would go alone. He wanted Felipe to accompany them, but the boy refused. He let his mentor know that he must get toknow his daughter and it would be better if they would spend some time alone. Diego feared that the reasons of the boy's refusal were different and talked a lot with him before he left. Finally Felipe, not being able to sign everything, took up the pen. Only then he managed to convince Diego that he didn't take offense. And, as he pointed out later, someone had to take care of Toronado. So Diego and Isabel went to Monterey alone, and when they returned after ten days, the little one, now officially Isabel de la Vega, was fascinated with her father. Diego too seemed to have familiarized himself with his daughter and had a good contact with her.

Don Alejandro wasn't so positive about this. Because Diego had left, he missed the worst rumors concerning him. The people of the pueblo commented loudly on the affair, but rarely did someone speak with a contempt like de Soto had. Diego de la Vega was a likable man and especially poor farmers valued him for his help he never hesitated to give, so the fact that he had an illegitimate child hadn't changed his reputation much. But Los Angeles' inhabitants weren't just peons and don Alejadnro had seen it himself. Because of his son's absence, it was him who had to listen all the reproaches and bitter comments from the caballeros. Especially the ones that were fathers of grown-up daughters told him openly that he shouldn't count on them, if he was ever going to look for a wife for his son. Others expressed their surprise, that don Alejandro allowed it to happen. When the elder de la Vega had listened to all these comments, he realized that his son had committed social suicide. And he had a feeling that Diego wouldn't really care.

His son might have returned from Spain with his head full of ideas and new influences, but Alejandro had been raised in strict conditions and there were some rules he was going to obey in his own house, no matter if Isabel was a legal child or not. Therefore, when his son and granddaughter returned from Monterey, he said he had to find a governess for Isabel. There was Maria at the hacienda, but she had too many duties to take care of the girl. And no matter how Diego was determined to prove himself in his new role of being a father, he just couldn't do everything. Alejandro regretted that he hadn't thought about it before his son went to Monterey to look for a governess there. For the time being it was Diego who looked after his daughter whenever he could, and when he was busy, Felipe guarded the girl.

The lack of the governess allowed don Alejandro to discover one more thing. Diego was an excellent teacher and now he reminded himself of it. Of course the elder de la Vega knew that for years he had been teaching Felipe more or less, but usually more useful things, but he rarely had a chance to observe them. Now Diego's spirited voice and the girl's excited laughter were heard in the living room.

Alejandro stopped in the doors and looked at his son. A few dishes stood on the table. Diego was holding a small jar full of some yellow powder, and next to him Felipe was burning a bit of this powder on a long spoon inside a high beaker.

"Alright, Felipe, that's enough," said Diego and signed to him. The boy took the spoon away and Diego quickly covered the dish. "Isabel, throw a leaf inside," he turned to his daughter. When the girl chose one of the leaves and threw it inside, the young de la Vega again put a plate on the top of the beaker.

"What now?" asked Isabel excitedly.

"Watch closely," said Diego and exchanged a meaningful look with Felipe. Alejandro, watching them, smiled to himself. It was a long time since he last saw such enthusiasm in his son.

"Oh!" cried the girl. "But it turned white!" she exclaimed surprised.

"It was sulfur Felipe was burning," Diego started explaining. "It's fumes were acid and destroyed this leaf. Oh, good morning, father." The young de la Vega realized that his father was watching them.

"I'm afraid I have to spoil the fun. Diego, I want you to go to the Pedro Montavlo family."

"What happened? Is it again...?"

"Sadly yes. Pedro was upset when I met him in the pueblo. I promised him one of us would come to see how we can help them," answered Alejandro. Diego sent him a worried look.

"Of course I will go," he said. "Felipe, go saddle the horses," he asked. The boy placed the dishes on the table and left.

"Where are you going? May I go too?" asked Isabel. Diego was taking her whenever he could, partly to show her the neighborhood and let her know his habits, partly to make up all these years when they had been separated by an ocean.

"No, not this time. It's not the view for you," replied Diego forcefully.

"But Felipe can!" pointed out the offended girl. "Why can he, and not I?"

"Some places aren't proper for young girls at your age," Ajelandro joined their conversation. "Felipe is much older than you," he said and Diego was grateful he didn't add that Felipe was a boy. Isabel had a good start to become an independent woman, such as Victoria was, and she would surely feel offended.

"Stay, Isabel, I will give you something to read," said Diego. "I will be right back, father," he added and took his daughter to the library. He stopped by the bookshelf and stared for a moment at the books. He was glad to see that Isabel liked reading. She was too young for the classics Diego so much loved, but he had some books bought in the time when he was a boy, or that he had bought for Felipe. He now had something to choose between. With a sudden sense of humor he gave her a small, brown book.

"Robin Hood?" Isabel read the title and looked questioningly at her father.

"I guess you'll like it," answered Diego and left, smiling to himself. For now, Zorro's appearance hadn't been needed in the pueblo, but in neighborhood, so Isabel hadn't had a chance to see him, and Victoria probably hadn't told her much. Nonetheless, the adventures of Robin Hood should be good for Isabel.

The young de la Vega joined his father and the smile disappeared from his face.

"What happened this time?"

"They tried to burn Pedro's house," replied Alejandro. "Fortunately only the stable was burnt, but their eldest son was at home."

"Dios, do you want to tell me that Alonso is dead?" asked Diego. The eldest son of Pedro Montavlo, sixteen-year old Alonso, was one of his students. The boy had first attended the mission school, but then he came to the hacienda from time to time along with a few others, where Diego taught them more complicated arithmetic. Alonso was a clever boy and his parents promised themselves a lot. As far as Diego knew, they were saving money to send him to school in Monterey.

"No, thank God, he's alive," his father calmed him down. "Stupid, he tried to stop them. He was lucky he wasn't killed, but he was beaten. Still, he managed to save both their horses."

"I will see what we can do," promised Diego. He said good bye to his father and went to Felipe, who was already waiting for him. Diego was more irritated that he had let his father see. Pedro Montavlo was another victim of a band that had been terrorizing the area for two weeks. Their leader was a wanted man, Mauricio Briseño. The gang was coming to farmers and demanding money. When they met with refusals, they burned whole ranches. Ignacio de Soto was sending one patrol after another, but knowing the soldiers' training Diego doubted they would succeed. He himself was wandering around, trying to find the gang's trails. The group was well organized, and the area was just too big. What's more, Diego always learned about their activities with delay, so before he was able to come as Zorro to the place of the attack, the bandits were already far away. The young de la Vega realized also that sneaking from the hacienda when Isabel was following his footsteps was much more difficult. So now, when he had a chance, he preferred to go as Diego.

ZZZ

Coming closer to capturing the gang cost him the whole week spent in the saddle and a few almost sleepless nights. Diego had to admit that he had a worthy opponent. Mauricio Briseño must have realized that he was being hunted and proved to Zorro that he could effectively hide. In the result Diego disappeared for whole days, leaving Isabel with Felipe and making different excuses, believing more in luck than in his abilities. He went home, tried to make an impression that he had spent the whole day writing articles or poems, and then he slipped again to the cave in the evening. Each time he had a stronger feeling that Felipe wanted to murder him. Unfortunately to both of them Isabel was reading fast and she really liked the adventures of Robin Hood. Too much. Felipe, forced to accompany her, had enough after one week. When Diego came back late at night and stretching himself after a long ride said that he had found the gang, the boy almost embraced him. At the silent question, why Zorro hadn't caught them, the young de la Vega answered sleepily that he was too tired and couldn't trust himself. Besides, he knew that the bandits felt sure because of their previous success and wanted to go to the pueblo next day. All he had to do was to make sure the band would not leave Los Angeles and end in the jail. Diego had no doubts that deep inside Ignacio de Soto would be grateful.

ZZZ

"Felipe, can we go somewhere?" Isabel caught the boy's hand and forced him to look at her. Felipe cursed silently. He hoped the little one wouldn't find him at the end of the garden, but apparently he was mistaken. Diego left in the morning and Isabel was again under his protection. And the girl didn't want to wander around the hacienda alone, when she could have a companion. Besides, Felipe wondered if she should be left alone after he caught her trying to repeat one of Diego's experiments. Isabel wasn't allowed to touch any of her father's things, especially the ones she didn't know how to use, but boredom and curiosity must have been stronger than her will to obey her father.

"Felipe, pleeeeeeease," moaned Isabel again. "Maybe Papa is in the pueblo. Come oooooon," she kept repeating, even when Felipe turned back to her in desperation. The girl still wasn't used to the fact that officially he couldn't hear and didn't stop talking even when he couldn't see her lips. Isabel didn't have many problems in communicating with Felipe. She often intuitively understood what he was trying to tell her. Diego had taught her the most common signs the boy used, and although Isabel mixed them, she usually was able to come to an understanding with Felipe.

"Can we go to the pueblo?" asked Isabel again. Felipe nodded. Pueblo meant the tavern and Victoria Escalante, who would free him from the girl for some time.

Isabel ran to the stable and Felipe followed her. The nosy nine-year old was getting on his nerves, but a trip to the pueblo should be a nice change for both of them, and it was better than running away from the girl at the hacienda. Felipe saddled the horses.

"Where did Papa go?" suddenly asked Isabel, when he finished. The boy frowned, wondering what Diego had told his daughter before he left. Felipe shrugged his shoulders.

"His mare is here." The girl pointed at Esperanza standing in the next box. She was interested and Felipe promised himself that it would be first thing to tell Diego when he returned home. The second would be to make him realize that he would not take any responsibility if Zorro was going again to ride half asleep. For now he managed to tell Isabel that he had no idea where Diego went, and he took the horses from the stable. He helped the girl mount, wondering what had she climbed on that first night when she ran away from the hacienda, and they went to the pueblo.

Like he was expecting, Victoria greeted them both with her usual smile. It wasn't a secret that she liked the daughter of her friend and she usually let the girl into her kitchen, when Isabel got bored wandering around the plaza or sitting in Diego's editor office. This time Victoria also started talking with the girl. She nodded in agreement with an understanding smile, when Felipe asked if he could leave her here and made a pleading sign when Isabel turned her back to him. Reassured this way, Felipe signed he would be at the mission and flew from the kitchen.

"You're alone with Felipe again?" asked Victoria, when they were alone. "Where is Diego?"

"I don't know," replied Isabel. "For a week I barely see him at home. He gave me a book to read and didn't even have time to talk about it," she added, offended.

"So much like Diego," stated señorita Escalante with a smile. "Are you sure he didn't hide somewhere with a book? Or that he's not painting some landscape?"

"I don't know," repeated the girl. "He didn't tell me anything. And he wouldn't do such a secret if he was painting, would he?"

"Maybe he wants to make a surprise for you?" suggested Victoria. "I will be right back," she said and left with full plates. She went through the main room and placed the orders in front of her customers. She was talking with one of the caballeros, when four men went on the porch. Victoria excused don Augustino and went outside with a dishcloth in her hands.

"Do you wish anything, señores?" she asked coldly. She didn't like when someone was making troubles in her tavern, and these men looked like they didn't need much to make turmoil. Victoria looked around discreetly, but sergeant Mendoza must have already eaten his lunch, or maybe he was still in the garrison. In the whole mess Victoria didn't remember if she had served him or not. There was also an option that Mendoza was served by Pilar and she didn't even know about it.

"Your company, mostly," answered the nearest man and tried to reach to one of the most interesting parts of her body, but Victoria was already prepared for that. She slapped the hand with her tray and moved away.

"Do you want anything to eat or drink?" Victoria repeated her question in different form. "You won't get here anything else, unless you want to rent a room for the night."

"I don't think you should refuse, señorita." The spurned man stood up and faced her. "We usually demand money, but you could pay us in other form." A voluptuous smile appeared on his face. The assaulter grabbed Victoria's hand.

"Let go of me!" Señorita Escalante moved, but couldn't free herself. She glanced to the tavern for help and cursed. Among her customers, who just saw that something was wrong, was also Isabel.

"Victoria, can you..." the girl dropped, frightened. Someone conscientious grabbed her and took inside.

"I'd advise you to listen to the señorita," said someone unexpectedly. The bandit that dared to bother Victoria didn't even realize when a black-gloved fist sent him on the other side of the porch.

"Zorro!" exclaimed Victoria with relief. "Just in time!"

"My pleasure," replied Zorro courteously. "You are more beautiful than ever," he said, smiling and winking to her. At the same time his sword was dancing in the air to protect him from the other three bandits.

Victoria sent him her most beautiful smile and stepped back to give him some space. She protectively embraced Isabel who had joined her. They both stood and watched enchanted, Victoria with love, Isabel with eyes wide open from amazement and respect. Zorro disarmed one of his opponents, protecting himself from a knife attack with a stool. The poor seat turned out to be a good shield and also a weapon. The bandit hit in his head fell on the floor. The last one retreated on the square where was more space.

It was easy to see after a few movements that the stranger knew what to do with a sword. Zorro appreciated that. He saluted his opponent and took the dare. Two blades danced in a quick series of cuts, attacks and covers. The two opponents made circles and receded from the porch. Victoria ran down the stairs to see them better and Isabel followed her. The señorita was worried until Zorro complimented her between one cut and another. Only then she realized that the stranger was no match for Zorro and that he was just playing. Unfortunately, he didn't have much time.

"Zorro!"

"Soldiers, catch him!"

A group of lacers along with Ignacio de Soto ran at the plaza. Zorro finished the game at once and the bandit's sword flew away and landed safely in the sand. An accurate blow sent its owner on the ground as well. Zorro whistled and looked back on the soldiers to judge the distance between them, and then he rushed to Victoria. Surprise ran through his face when he saw Isabel, but then he gave his beloved his usual kiss.

"We will have to talk," whispered Zorro to her ear and jumped on Toronado, who came from behind the building. Before the soldiers had a chance to reach the tavern, Zorro was already disappearing behind the pueblo's gate.

"Oooooooh!" Isabel sighed with admiration. "Who was that?"

"That was Zorro," answered Victoria, still smiling and looking in the direction where the black rider had disappeared. "Again he had no time for me," she sighed.

"Zorro? A Fox?" Isabel repeated, surprised. "Will you tell me something about him? Pleeeaseeee!"

"Of course. It will be siesta soon, I will close the tavern and we will have the whole afternoon for stories. Go to the mission and tell Felipe to come for lunch if he wants."

ZZZ

The worst heat had passed and Diego found it was high time to go to the pueblo. He finished writing an article in the blessed silence at the hacienda and he hoped he would make at least first page of the newspaper. Zorro's action was only half successful. Four bandits ended locked in the jail, but it wasn't the whole gang, which meant he would have to wander around again. Well, Isabel wouldn't be pleased, thought Diego when he stopped at the plaza.

He was just opening his office when he saw Felipe rushing to him from the mission. He was already signing to him to wait. Diego left the doors and met him.

"What's wrong, Felipe?" he asked. The boy was signing to him at a wild speed. "Isabel is in the pueblo? Yes, I saw her. What? What Zorro?" he asked confused and blinked. "What? Victoria is telling Isabel stories about Zorro? Madre de Dios, that is the last thing I need," he moaned and directed to the tavern, but Felipe grabbed his arm. He pointed at Diego, then at Esperanza, and then he made a sign meaning Isabel.

"Gracias, Felipe. I will be more careful next time," promised Diego. "Come on, let's see what Victoria has told Isabel."

Despite siesta time Diego went to the main doors. He knew Victoria usually closed them without locking. Now they were open too. The young de la Vega went inside quietly and stopped suddenly before kitchen, when he heard a conversation. Felipe rose his eyebrows in surprise and smiled rakishly, as if he wanted to point out that Diego abandoned his manners because of his curiosity, but his friend just put his finger on his lips.

"... if only you could have seen him!" Victoria was saying. "We thought Zorro had died, but he appeared at his own funeral! Alcalde Ramone was furious. But then... There was something to watch. The whole pueblo was shining from the flashes and the noise was as if a real army was attacking Los Angeles! I have no idea how he had done it, but certainly he didn't have an army of ghosts, like he told the alcalde."

"Really?"

"Yes." Victoria's voice was full of excitement and languor. "Or when he convinced the alcalde that he gave him the real jewel from Gaudalupe, when in fact it turned later into some snotty mush."

Diego and Felipe glanced at each other. It seemed that Victoria remembered well many details from Zorro's actions. The question was, how much more she was able to remind herself if she ever started thinking about it. But not this, but Isabel's words perplexed Diego the most.

"This Zorro is almost as amazing as Papa is," stated the girl with childish firmness. At the other side of the wall Diego almost dropped his notes for the newspaper. Countless times don Diego de la Vega was being compared with Zorro, with an addition what he could learn from the latter, but never ever Zorro was compared with the plain caballero Diego was pretending to be. The young de la Vega decided it was high time to end this conversation. He gave Felipe a sign to go back silently. A moment later they both went to the kitchen.

"Buenos dias, Victoria," said Diego. At his presence Isabel stood up.

"Papa! You will never believe who I saw! And what Victoria told me!" she started talking, excited. Her father smiled and exchanged glances with Victoria.

"I will, Isabel, I will," he reassured her merrily.

"Buenos dias, Diego," Victoria greeted him. "You're looking for your loss again?" she asked, teasing him.

"No, no," laughed Diego. "This time both my losses left me a note on my desk," he added, pointing at Isabel and Felipe. The boy sent him an offended look, suggesting that he wasn't a loss. "I only didn't think they would end up here. I'm sorry for the trouble."

"No problem, Diego," Victoria reassured him. "We had a wonderful afternoon with Isabel, didn't we?"

"Of course!" exclaimed the girl. "Papa, will you tell me something more about Zorro? You tell such beautiful stories..."

"Tell stories?" interrupted señorita Escalante. She gave her friend a curious look. Diego lost countenance. Yes, bedtime stories were their little secret. During their journey to Monterey they had to do something in the evening and Diego discovered that telling stories wasn't so difficult. At first he was telling Isabel stories he had heard or read, but then he caught himself on making them up, sometimes adding his own experiences into them. Isabel loved these stories and asked him to tell them frequently, if only she was able to find her father in the evening.

"Papa tells wonderful stories!" said Isabel. "If only you could hear him!"

"Victoria is a bit too old for stories," Diego pointed out and Victoria laughed.

"Nonsense, no one is too old for stories when they are good," she started teasing him." I would love to hear you, but not now."

"Maybe sometime..." Diego cut the conversation off. "Come, Isabel, I will need your and Felipe's help in the office."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I know it's little too late for Christmas present, but anyway, I hope you will enjoy this chapter.

**Chapter five**

_** "**_I'm bored," said Isabel, rising her head from her notebook. Diego had seen that she had something to do and he had written her several arithmetical equations, but the girl had had enough time to solve them all. She was angry because it was Felipe, not her father, who checked them and correct her mistakes.

Felipe, sitting on the sofa, ignored the question he couldn't officially hear. The book he was reading was interesting, but he had several things to do in the cave right now. And as long as Isabel was following his every step, he didn't have a chance to sneak away. Personally, Felipe was counting days to the governess arrival. Unfortunately, he had no idea when it was going to happen.

"Felipe, I'm bored." Isabel stood in front of the boy. Now he couldn't pretend he didn't hear her. He reluctantly closed his book and gave the girl a questioning look.

"Can we do something?" asked Isabel. "Please, Felipe, anything!"

Felipe shrugged his shoulders and gave her to understanding that he didn't have any idea. The girl thought for a moment, and then started talking quickly, not caring that her companion couldn't hear her. A smile appeared on Felipe's face and he took her to the garden. He came back alone a quarter later. He pressed the button on the fireplace and ran down the stairs to the hidden chamber. He had a chance to have some tome alone, Isabel visibly liked his idea.

ZZZ

Dark clouds coming from the south suggested to hurry. Toronado was sniffing anxiously, feeling the coming storm. Diego gave up his research and turned back home, because he didn't want to get caught in the open air. He began to had enough of all this. Four bandits were in the alcalde's jail, but other five still wandered around. As if out of spite, Diego had very little time. It was a calving time and every hand was needed, because vaqueros were sometimes too few to handle everything. Many times Diego rushed on the pastures right from the cave. Alejandro was surprised by this, and even more, when Isabel accompanied his son. Diego saw no problem in it. If Felipe followed his footsteps for years, why his own daughter couldn't? The elder de la Vega mentioned the some places weren't appropriate for the little girl, but he understood that until the governess arrives, Felipe couldn't watch Isabel all the time.

A stick flew a few meters in front of Toronado's nose. The stallion snorted warningly. Another one flew horizontally and landed in the grass. Diego involuntarily reached his sword, but lowered it, when he saw a child with a stick curved into a bow. He smiled to himself and blinked, surprised. This little creature, wearing a blouse with lace collar and visibly too big trousers, with long, dark hair tied with a pink ribbon was undoubtedly his daughter. A closer look let him realize that these too big trousers belonged to Felipe, which was next thing on the list of things he was going to ask his charge later.

"Zorro!" exclaimed Isabel when he saw him, visibly not afraid. Diego was content, but on the other hand he started wondering what else Victoria had told his daughter. He jumped from the saddle and came closer.

"Welcome, little lady Marion," he said with a smile. The girl's surprised expression told him that he had made a mistake.

"How did you know?" asked Isabel and grabbed her bow tightly. "I was reading Robin Hood."

"There are very few characters you could impersonate," answered Diego, hoping it sounded probably enough. "What are you doing alone so far away from home?"

"I'm playing. Papa is not at home, but Felipe made me a wonderful bow!" said Isabel enthusiastically. "He promised me to decorate it later!"

"You shouldn't go so far away, it's not safe here," said Diego, promising himself to talk with his daughter about it later at home. "And it's going to rain. Come, I will take you home."

"Really? On Toronado?" Isabel's eyes shined with excitement. "Woooow!"

The girl came closer without fear. Diego thought with humor, that no soldier would dare to come to Toronado. But well, Isabel didn't know this.

"I will help you up," said Diego and grabbed her. The girl looked at him and knitted her brows.

"You are as tall as Papa is," she said. Diego felt as if his legs were going to bend. He didn't even realize that Isabel gave up formalities. "Who are you?"

"I can't tell you that," Diego sat behind her and headed to the hacienda. "My identity has to remain secret, if I want to succeed."

"Do you know my father?" Isabel turned back to look at him. "Diego de la Vega?"

"I don't think we had a chance to meet personally, Isabel" answered Diego, feeling more uncomfortable. He felt as if his mask was slipping down his face and making sure that it was still on its place and the knit was tight didn't help.

"You know my name?" The girl was surprised. "How?"

"I do my best to be up to date. I could hardly miss such a rumor," answered Diego freely and smiled, silently counting meters to the hacienda. Isabel couldn't stop talking. She chattered all the way and Diego had a chance to listen about himself. Papa this, Papa that... He had no idea his daughter managed to get to know him so well. When he finally left her in front of the hacienda and rode away quickly to reach the cave before the rain, he still couldn't shrug from the astonishment.

First drops of rain caught him near the cave. Fortunately, he managed before the downpour and wasn't soaking wet. Inside the hidden chamber he was surprised by the order. Recently he didn't have time for anything and his usually pedantic laboratory wasn't pedantic anymore.

"Well done, Felipe," said Diego, when he saw the boy in the stable part of the cave. He jumped from the saddle and smile disappeared from his face. "Do you know, where Isabel is?" he asked freely, but Felipe knew him well. The boy shrugged his shoulders and pointed upstairs, uncertain.

"Oh, yes, right now she is certainly in her room," said Diego. "I have just left her there. Yes, as Zorro," he précised. "Why? I met her alone, shooting sticks. She didn't hesitate to brag that you made her a bow."

In response Felipe gave him to understanding that he had had enough of the girl's company. Diego laughed.

"If my father sees her like this, I will have another row about raising our little lady," he said, changing his clothes. "What? Because she was shooting? No, though he wouldn't be glad. But tell me, where did she find your trousers?"

Felipe stared at him. Diego laughed again and tied his belt.

"I must say our little lady Marion looked peculiar," he commented, but then was serious again. "She had a lot to say about her father. If she talks with others so freely too... Yes, Felipe, it might be trouble. And the worst part is that if she doesn't say a word about her encounter with Zorro, I won't be able to scold her for leaving hacienda alone."

ZZZ

First free evening for two weeks, when he wasn't going to wander as Zorro, didn't give him rest. Diego reminded himself of an issue he had been putting apart. He really didn't want this, but Zorro had to talk to Victoria. The thought of what he was going to do was painful, but he couldn't do otherwise. It wouldn't be fair towards Victoria. It was better... better to take back his promise and give the señorita a free choice. He wasn't a bachelor anymore, a free man, he couldn't just flirt.

Diego hid in his cave as soon as Isabel went to sleep. He cleaned his laboratory table, which wasn't necessary as Felipe had made it earlier this day. When he changed his clothes, he saw that his shirt was stained and he looked for another for a long time. Diego was brushing Toronado, when Felipe came to him. He was surprised that Diego was still there. Felipe saddled the black stallion and looked at his mentor expectantly.

"You're right, Felipe, there's no point in waiting," sighed the young de la Vega. "I'm going."

Felipe hesitated. He grabbed Diego's sleeve, as if suggesting that he should stay.

"No, I can't keep it longer," said Diego. "Victoria deserves something better. Wish me good luck," he murmured sarcastically as he mounted Toronado. "I hope I will come back," he smiled and left.

ZZZ

Victoria was cleaning her tavern when the window over her head clashed . The señorita moved, as always, but she wasn't afraid. Only one person entered her kitchen this way.

"Zorro!" Victoria exclaimed and smiled. "I was waiting for you."

"Waiting?" repeated Zorro, surprised.

"Yes, for a week," said the señorita. "You said you wanted to talk with me," she reminded him. She put a dry plate on the cupboard and asked. "Will you eat supper with me? I know it's late, but..."

"No, thank you," interfered Zorro. He was still standing by the wall, though Victoria wanted to find herself in his arms. "We need to talk," he said. His cold calmness, hiding his nervousness, as well as the lack of smile alarmed Victoria.

"Has something happened?" she asked, anxious. She looked closely at her beloved, seeking for wounds or signs of illness, anything suggesting that something was wrong.

"Yes... no..." Zorro hesitated, but then he took a deep breath and continued. "Something has changed in my life. Something that won't allow me to keep my promise."

Victoria was shocked. She just stared at Zorro, trying to understand what he was about to tell her.

"In whose life has something changed?" she asked finally. "The legend, or the man hidden behind this mask?"

"The man," replied Zorro quietly. Victoria noticed subconsciously that he didn't dare to come closer, which gave her some grim satisfaction.

"Who is she?"

"I beg your pardon?" Zorro didn't understand.

"You are getting married, aren't you?" repeated Victoria. "You have a woman. Who is she?" she asked again with an icy cold voice.

"Victoria, there is no other woman," Zorro reassured her when he regained his voice. "Never was, never will. I love you," he confessed. Only then Victoria fully realized what he was trying to do. Señorita Escalante blew with anger.

"So what is it?" she exclaimed. "You proposed to me a month ago only to take it back now? No way!"

"Victoria, it's not that..." Zorro started explaining himself. "I... I have other obligations."

"Zorro, I told you I will wait," Victoria reminded him. "I didn't change my mind, I'm ready to wait until you are free."

"It's not this," corrected Zorro. "Not only Zorro has his obligations, but also..."

"Also who?"

"The man behind this mask." Zorro didn't look at her. "Victoria, please, understand..."

"No!" Victoria slammed the table with the dishcloth. "I don't understand. And, unless you give me some rational reason why you cannot keep your promise, I won't let you break off our engagement!"

"But I really cannot tell you anything more without betraying..." Zorro stopped.

"Oh!" Victoria moaned with anger. "We are rounding in circles! What are these obligations?" she asked again. Zorro was silent.

Suddenly a noise outside answered her. Victoria jumped and Zorro immediately found himself between her and the doors, where the danger could most probably come from.

"It sounds like trouble," he said quickly. "Stay here!" he ordered and rushed from the kitchen to leave the tavern through the main door. Her curiosity was stronger than her reason and anger at Zorro. Victoria ran after him and stopped in the doors.

The turmoil focused by the alcalde's office. In the light coming through the tavern's door Zorro distinguished blue uniforms of the soldiers who were visibly defending themselves. The ambushers were five and they attacked the office. The jail, thought Zorro, knowing who they were. The bald man in a dark jacket was undoubtedly Mauricio Briseño who wanted to free his companions. Well, he had chosen bad time.

Zorro slipped through the plaza. Before the bandits had a chance to saw him, the whip bolted and one of them fell of his horse. An accurate kick didn't let him stand up. That meant there were four left.

"Just in time!" exclaimed sergeant Mendoza, to whom the stunned bandit was aiming with his pistol a moment earlier. Zorro smiled and flipped two fingers to his hat before he turned to face another opponent.

Mauricio Briseño had already proved that he hadn't lacked cunning. Right now he didn't wait for the whip to fall on him, but he attacked. Zorro avoided him, but the gang leader didn't lose his balance. He turned at once to cover himself from Zorro's fist. The masked outlaw smiled, seeing a challenge, but another shot reminded him that they weren't alone, so he couldn't focus on just one opponent. He stepped back and took his sword. A surprise caused by his action gave one of the soldiers few seconds of advantage, which was enough for him to shoot one of the attackers. The third one tried to get Zorro from his back, but he met a gloved fist.

"I'm afraid we won't be able to play longer, amigo," said Zorro with almost apologizing smile, as if he really regretted this. Mauricio took his sword, but the outlaw deprived him of it almost immediately. He was now in the position where he could see the tavern and Victoria on the porch. Zorro cursed silently. He asked her to stay inside! The gang leader saw his hesitation and moved, increasing the distance between them. He wanted to escape, but Zorro whistled. Toronado came from behind the corner and crossed his way.

"Not this time." Zorro swung, but a shot was fired. The whip missed its target and Zorro swayed on his feet as his left shoulder exploded with pain right under his clavicle. Fortunately, there were soldiers and for the first time he was grateful for it.

"Toronado!" he called, moving back, farther from the lancers. Busy with bandits or not, they might forget that he had just helped them and try to catch him. The black stallion left Briseño, whom he was blocking the way, and came to his master. Zorro mounted clumsily and rode to the porch, where Victoria froze in fear.

"Adios, señorita," said Zorro, but he couldn't force himself to smile. He bowed to her and rushed Toronado. He didn't turn, so he couldn't know that Victoria looked at him, until his silhouette, leaning on one side, disappeared in the darkness of the night.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** as always, many thanks to **lbindner** for checking my translation :)

**Chapter six**

The blood was viscous and warm. Diego felt it was running down his ribs and arm. He was trying to ignore the pain emanating from his shoulder and pressing to the wound a piece of cloth he had found in his saddlebag. Fortunately Toronado didn't need his constant attention; the clever animal knew he had to go back home. Diego only clenched his teeth and focused on reaching the cave. He didn't know what damage the bullet had done, but he had to stem the bleeding, if he wanted to minimize the consequences. He was lucky it was so late. It was hardly possible he would meet anybody at the hacienda before he reach his room.

Diego greeted the familiar scent of hay in Toronado's stall with a moan of relief. He slipped carefully from the saddle, trying not to hurt his arm more.

"Forgive me, my friend, I will take care of you later," he said and breathed deeply. The stallion snorted in response and poked him with his nose. Diego went out of the stable part and cursed. Felipe wasn't in the cave and Diego needed his help. The young de la Vega looked around, thinking what to do. He couldn't risk looking for the boy all around the hacienda in Zorro's clothes. Changing to his caballero's outfit without tending the wound didn't make any sense. Diego put apart a bloody cloth and took a clean towel. He pressed it to his shoulder and realized what he could check. He went to the wall and looked through the eyehole.

"Gracias a Dios!" Diego sighed in relief, seeing Felipe sitting on the sofa with a book. He went quickly up the stairs and turned the candlestick. "Felipe, come quickly," he said in an undertone. The boy jumped and looked at his mentor worriedly. He left the book and quickly joined Diego, closing the entrance behind him. The young de la Vega felt his questioning look and almost smiled when Felipe signed to him on the stairs.

"No, it's not because of Victoria. Briseño showed himself in the pueblo," said Diego. "Help me take off this shirt," he asked. The boy deftly unbuttoned it and took away the black fabric. Diego wiped some of the blood away and winced. The bullet got stuck under his clavicle, right next to his armpit. The problem was, that the bullet had to be removed.

"We will need water," said Diego. "Prepare bandages and give me this thin knife," he asked. Felipe nodded. He put the knife on the desk and forced his mentor to sit down, while he was preparing all the things that were needed. Diego obediently sank to the chair.

"Give me that whisky that stands there on the shelf," he asked. The boy rose his eyebrows in surprise, but fulfilled his request. Diego drenched the blade with the alcohol to disinfect it. He turned a bit so he could see his wounded arm. He tried to put the knife into the wound to take the bullet away, but a paroxysm of pain forced him to take his hand back with a moan. He inhaled deeply a few times to calm himself down, trying not to pay attention to Felipe's worried looks. Another try also didn't let him break the blockade of pain. Diego miffed and moaned when Felipe put his hand on his good arm.

"It... hurts," strained the young de la Vega through clenched teeth. He took a few more deep breaths and looked at his charge. "I won't be able to take the bullet out on my own." He had to admit it. Felipe glanced at him with fear, when he understood what Diego was asking him to do.

"You will do it, don't worry," said Diego calmly, trying to hide the fact, that he was feeling really bad. "Clean the wound again," he instructed. "You see the bullet. It's not deep inside. We have to take it out."

Felipe nodded, unsure. He stood in the way he wasn't covering the light and tried to remove the bullet. Only when the blade touched the bleeding wound, Diego involuntarily moved back. Felipe stepped away at once.

"No, it's alright," Diego tried to calm him down. "It has to be done this way, but I..."

Felipe hesitated despite his mentor's reassurance. He didn't want to cause him pain, but he knew that the bullet had to be removed. Only then did he realize that some help stood right in front of them. The boy reached for a glass and filled it with whisky. Diego winced. He didn't like whisky, and more – the way it affected a man when he drank too much.

"I guess you're right," he admitted finally, resigned. He grabbed the glass and took a long sip. The alcohol burned the throat, especially someone's as unused to strong drinks as Diego was. He thought sarcastically that he avoided overdosing alcohol for years only to purposely get drunk as fast as he possibly could now.

"I will drink no more," he protested finally, when Felipe wanted to fill the glass again. The bottle was now almost half empty. So much at once Diego hadn't drunk since he got back from Madrid. He already felt humming in his head. More alcohol could make him sick instead of just desensitize him.

"It won't get any better than this," he said after a while and sat more comfortably. "You have to remove..."

Felipe nodded and took the knife again. He knew that if he had decided to get Diego drunk, he had now to rely on his own judgment. He hesitated for a moment, and then sat on the young de la Vega's knees to possibly limit his movements. Then he immobilized him with his left hand and started groping in the wound with his right one. Diego stiffened and moaned, but he didn't move so nervously. The whole unpleasant manipulation didn't last long, but when the bullet was out, they were both soaking wet. Now Felipe bandaged the wound, but he glanced at his mentor with growing anxiety.

"Don't worry, it will be alright," Diego reassured him, but not convincingly. With unsure movements and Felipe's help, he put on his white shirt. The cave was always cool, but he started getting cold. "It's not the wound, it... it's the alcohol," he warned and stood up unsteadily. The wound wasn't serious, but Diego felt that the whole weariness and tension was leaving him now. The alcohol was relaxing, even more than he would wish. Bed was now the best solution.

ZZZ

For the first time Felipe wasn't angry at Diego for leaving him with Isabel. Diego managed to get a good sleep, but a promised trip with his daughter would certainly be a stupid idea. The young de la Vega cursed in the morning the effects of desensitizing with whisky the previous night, but apart from that he reassured Felipe that nothing bad was happening. He could easily avoid his father or give him some more or less believable excuse. The problem was with Isabel. The little one was nosy and observant and it worried Diego. Because of that Felipe spent half of the day with the girl wandering around. It was safe, now that the gang was in jail. They went back for a late lunch. By that time Diego had put himself in order and ate with them, but then he excused himself and went to check something very important. Isabel wasn't complaining, because Felipe promised her to look for his old bow he had once used. The girl was delighted and the duo disappeared in the garden right after the dinner.

ZZZ

Diego had bad luck in the evening. It was dark outside, when Felipe and Isabel finally returned to the hacienda. The little one had red cheeks and was bustling with energy and enthusiasm, contrary to Felipe, who had enough of the girl's company. They found the young de la Vega by the piano, where he was writing something.

"Papa, do you know how Felipe shoots?" asked Isabel enthusiastically. "He showed me how to play!"

"That's good," Diego raised his head from his notes and sent his daughter a tired smile. "I'm glad you liked it."

"Will you go with me tomorrow?" asked Isabel with hope. "Felipe found a wonderful place, but I wanted you to show me..."

"I can't, Isabel," Diego cut her off before she went too enthusiastic. "I have a few important things to do," he said. A smile disappeared from the girl's face.

"Recently you always say so," she pointed out. "You always disappear and never want to go with me, to show me something," she said accusingly.

Diego's face fell. Yes, he recently had very little time for his daughter, but it was because Zorro had his hands full of work. If it wasn't for the real danger for the people, he would gladly sit at home and teach his daughter. Well, but he couldn't tell her that.

"You wouldn't refuse Victoria," stated suddenly Isabel, making her father even more uncomfortable. "You never refuse her. Do you think I don't know? Why can't you love me like you love her?" she asked.

"Why do you think I love Victoria?" Diego answered with a question, trying to make it sound nonchalant. Inside, all his senses were screaming, he wanted to curse, but he couldn't in the presence of his child. Yes, to hell, he loved Victoria, he wanted to admit it, but he couldn't. And right now his shoulder was pulsing with pain and making him crazy.

"Because I can see it," answered simply Isabel.

"Isabel," started Diego unsurely. "There is a strong bond between Victoria and me, because we've known each other since we were children. Victoria is my friend, nothing more."

"If you say so..." the girl suddenly didn't press him more. "You are sure you won't go with me tomorrow?" she asked again.

"I can't," answered the young de la Vega. "Go to the kitchen, Maria has a supper for you," he said, changing the subject. "I have already eaten," he added. Isabel went after Felipe, but she suddenly turned back.

"Papa? What's wrong?" she asked.

"Everything is fine," Diego calmed her down. "I'm just tired," he admitted. He didn't even realize the mistake he was making. "Good night, Isabel," he said, hoping that the girl won't be thinking about his relationship with Victoria.

ZZZ

The tavern was full of customers as usual. Victoria served as always, but she could barely hide her bad humor. She had listened to the soldiers and knew that they didn't pay much attention to the fact that Zorro was wounded. This had calmed her a bit, but not completely. And there was Zorro. He had irritated her with his sudden visit. For two days she had been wondering why he wanted to break their engagement. What affairs in his private life had made him even think of that? He had reassured her that it wasn't because of a woman. So, what was it? And what if he was lying? Victoria creased her eyebrows. What if Zorro lied? What if the feeling he had for her, the engagement was merely a mockery? A part of game? A wish to show off? No, Zorro was a gentleman. He was never improper... But, in fact, what did she know about him? He told her he couldn't give her more details because he didn't want to reveal his identity. And what if he didn't tell her anything because he wasn't treating their relationship seriously? Victoria tried to get rid of that thought, but she couldn't.

A moved curtain in the kitchen door took her away from her grim thoughts. Señorita Escalante glanced over her shoulder, expecting to see Pilar and smiled, when she saw Isabel.

"Buenos dias, Victoria," said the girl merrily. Felipe slipped after her and greeted her.

"Again in pueblo?" asked the señorita. "What expelled you from home this time?"

"Boredom," said Isabel. Behind her Felipe rolled his eyes, which made Victoria smile reassuringly to him. She understood well what kind of companion a little girl was to a growing boy.

"Stay, if you want," suggested Victoria as always. "Felipe, are you staying too?" she asked. The boy shook his head and made a gesture meaning the mission. Recently he went there frequently, because he got on well with one of the young Indians from the mission, who knew sign language. He was probably going now to see him. Felipe left and Isabel started helping Victoria in the kitchen. The señorita allowed her to do it, though he suspected that don Alejandro wouldn't be pleased. As for Diego... Well, he himself was eccentric enough to bother with such details. Isabel started chatting about shooting, but Victoria soon stopped listening to her and fell into her own thoughts. Her bad humor returned and the girl saw it at once. Isabel asked her what was the problem until she told her it was because of Zorro, but she didn't want to say what had happened.

"Where is Diego?" asked Victoria, when Isabel sat in her favorite place near the fireplace. "I haven't seen him for a long time," she added, hoping to change the subject. She really got used to the fact that Diego was in the pueblo every day, so his three-day absence was something unusual. Even more than ever, because it wasn't the first time when Felipe came to the pueblo with Isabel and asked if she could leave her, or he was doing shopping with her for Maria. And Diego recently didn't come to her tavern, but rushed to his office.

"Papa is ill," answered Isabel. "He didn't want to tell me anything, but for two weeks he's always sleepy and disappears somewhere."

"Sleepy? Disappears?" repeated Victoria and smiled. "If he was ill, he wouldn't leave his bed," she said firmly. "Hasn't he gotten some new books? He must have been up late at night reading something and disappeared to make his experiments," she calmed the girl and leaned over a pot with soup to stir it.

"No," protested Isabel. "He wasn't reading, nothing new has come. I checked one evening, he wasn't at home. And yesterday he looked really bad."

"He wasn't at home? And maybe he was meeting some señorita, hmm?" laughed Victoria and sent the girl a questioning look, when she saw her face.

"Papa s in love," admitted Isabel calmly. "Didn't you know that?" Now it was her turn to be surprised. Victoria stirred the soup again and wondered if the nine year old girl was a good companion to talk about such matters.

"I knew... Well, Diego told me once about some woman, but nothing more. He said it wasn't important, because she was in love with another man," replied Victoria carefully. She was surprised when she saw a strangely familiar smile on the girl's face.

"I know who is it," said Isabel.

"Yes? Who?" Victoria glanced at her with curiosity.

"You."

The spoon the señorita was stirring the soup with fell inside. Victoria blinked rapidly and then laughed in disbelief.

"Me? No, you must have been mistaken."

"I'm not!" the girl was stubborn. "And papa is not ill because of you. Why didn't he want to tell me anything?

"I don't know, but I really don't think Diego is in love with me," repeated Victoria, this time calmly and turned around at the sudden noise. Felipe was standing at the doors and picking up the packages he had dropped. He sent her an apologetic smile.

"Never mind, Felipe," Victoria reassured him. Felipe sighed and signed to Isabel that he was finished.

"Already? So quickly? Are we going back?" asked the girl, and when she got confirmation, she started saying good bye to Victoria. To Felipe's despair, she grabbed his hand and they left together, not even realizing that Victoria had now a lot to think about.

When Diego came in the afternoon to set the next Guardian edition, Victoria involuntarily followed him with her eyes from her porch, remembering Isabel's remarks about his supposed illness. She must admit that he really looked pale from what she could see, but she didn't have a chance to talk to him. Diego just greeted her from the plaza and disappeared in his office, holding some notes. Victoria wanted to go to him, but she had too many customers and unplanned tasks that she forgot about it.

At the hacienda Isabel was looking at her ribbons. She was angry at Diego because he continued to almost ignore her, and at Zorro, because he'd offended Victoria. She had no idea what she could do, but from the other hand she just wanted to do anything. She could forgive her father now, but Zorro was another thing. Revealing his identity seemed like great fun and a task for a long time. And there was one more thing. Isabel promised herself to prove to Victoria, that she was right. It would also be interesting.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**: Many thanks to **lbindner** for beta-reading

**Chapter seven**

"It's completely pointless," growled an irritated Diego, putting away another bloodied cloth, which joined the rest of them lying on the desk in a mess. His white, stained shirt slipped to the floor and remained there. The young de la Vega could rest now, in his cave. He still blessed his forethought which made him wear a dark suit. Thanks to his clothes, the red stain was visible only on his shirt, hidden under a jacket and no one had noticed it.

"I know, Felipe," sighed Diego in response to the signs of the boy who was helping him. "It can't go on like this, or I will never heal that arm," he said. There was no improvement for a week. Don Alejandro needed help with the annual selection of the cattle and Diego had to inspect it. He had spent the whole week in the saddle, moving from one herd to another, choosing with his workers the ones which were to remain, which to move and which to be killed. He couldn't evade his duties, but it had done him no good, though he had tried to save his arm. He ended up with the wound reopening again and again, weakness, and now probably a slight fever. Maybe he would go with these daily trips, if not for today's action in the pueblo. Now he had to be careful if he wanted to let the wound heal at last.

ZZZ

_Being an editor of the only newspaper in Los Angeles had some consequences. One of them was the fact that the newspaper had to be published regularly, so, willy-nilly, Diego had to go to the pueblo to fetch the articles and prepare the next edition. Isabel followed him like a shadow, and he had to be twice as careful if he didn't want to betray himself. Unfortunately, don Alejandro didn't let the girl to go with her father to the pastures, so she got bored during a week alone in hacienda, so a trip to the pueblo was like an attraction to her. Fortunately she quickly got bored in the office and went to the tavern, allowing her father and Felipe to finish the work more efficiently._

_When they finished, they went through the plaza to the tavern. Diego didn't want to risk going inside, when someone could easily push him, so they sat on the porch, where it was hotter, but there was also more space. He was talking with Victoria, when everything began. The young de la Vega reacted involuntarily._

"_Get down!" Diego shouted and pushed Victoria down. They both fell on the porch and bullets bolted over their heads and got stuck in the wall. Some of the guests did the same, but one of them wasn't so lucky. The man slipped to the ground with a moan._

_There was chaos in the plaza. The sellers were trying to take away their most valuable goods. Frightened hens were running wildly around, falling under the horses' hooves. The soldiers were running from the garrison and making an orderly form. And among this all six men were rounding in circles, shooting, frightening and clearly enjoying themselves. _

"_Madre de Dios!" moaned Victoria, standing up. Next to her Diego was crouching and trying to hide behind the porch's railing. Shielded like this, he judged the situation. The bandits were only six, drunk moreover, but they managed to make a big mess. He would deal with them easily as Zorro, though he might have problems due to his wounded arm. As Diego, he couldn't help the soldiers._

_A cry made the young de la Vega raise his head in search for the source of the sound. He found it and groaned._

"_Isabel!" he called. The girl wasn't, as he had thought, in the tavern, but in the plaza, when the strangers rode to the pueblo. Now she hid under one of the overturned stalls and cried, frightened. Somehow no one had noticed her for now and Diego was grateful because of it. He roused quickly and wanted to run to his daughter, but someone jerked his arm. A sudden spasm of pain made him stay more effectively than Victoria's grab, because she was the one who was holding him._

"_You can't!" she hissed. "They will kill you! Isabel is quite safe now!" she was talking quickly. In spite of what she thought, Diego didn't jerk. Instead, he protected her again. This time it wasn't necessary, as the guns weren't pointed in their direction._

"_Papa!" Isabel saw him and cried, which draw attention of one of the strangers. Diego saw her eyes, widened with fear, turned to him with a silent plea. This was enough. He freed himself from Victoria's embrace, but at the same time the soldiers finally reacted. An accurate shot hit the bandit when he was just a few steps from the girl. The man fell on the ground right in front of Isabel, who cried and stepped back as much as her shelter allowed her._

_Shooting one of them cooled the bandits. They understood that they could terrorize the plaza freely no more. They moved their mounts and left the pueblo, leaving their shot companion behind. They hadn't even vanished behind the pueblo gate yet when Diego reached the stall._

"_It's alright, Isabel, it's alright," he said reassuringly, kneeling on the ground. His daughter nestled under the stall between broken dishes. She was staring at the lying man. When she saw Diego next to her, she started crying openly. Shaken, she crawled from her hideout and cuddled up in her father's safe arms._

"_Shh, it's alright," Diego repeated quietly. He bit his lips, because Isabel was pressing her head right to his wounded shoulder, already hurt a moment ago by Victoria. "Don't be afraid, nothing happened, it's over now."_

"_There's a body here!" sobbed Isabel. "Right here!"_

"_This man is alive, Isabel," Diego embraced his daughter tighter and looked over his shoulder. The soldiers had just reached them and surrounded the lying man. Diego could easily see that the wounded man was breathing._

"_He's dead, he's dead," repeated the little one, hiding her face in the young de la Vega's jacket. She couldn't understand that the soldiers were taking the unlucky bandit to the jail, where they would take care of him._

"_He's alive, my dear," repeated Diego once again. "Don't be afraid, you're safe."_

"_De la Vega, take this child away," he heard the alcalde's irritated voice above him. "You're making troubles here."_

"_As you wish, Ignacio," growled Diego, barely preventing himself from more harsh words. "Isabel?" he turned calmly to his daughter, but she was still crying. "Isabel, come," he repeated. The girl gave no action suggesting that she was going to move, so Diego took her in his arms. As soon as he stood up, he knew it was a big mistake. A nine year old girl wasn't light, and she was cuddling up into his left arm. Diego clenched his teeth and tilted his head, seemingly whispering some calming words to his daughter, but mostly to hide a grimace of pain. The tavern's porch suddenly seemed to be far away. Further than he might wish. He felt that he was losing all the strength in his arm, and he feared he might drop his daughter. He reached the nearest table as soon as possible and seated Isabel on it with a moan. He leaned heavily against the top and prevented himself from wiping sweat from his forehead. Still leaning, he carefully put off the girl so she wouldn't hurt his arm longer. The little one was still sobbing and didn't see her father's unusual behavior, who was standing and breathing heavily. Someone else noticed, though._

"_Diego? Has something happened?" asked Victoria. She put a tray with the dishes that weren't broken on the table and glanced at her friend. Diego didn't answer her. He was standing, his back to her, and mechanically soothing his daughter to calm her down. He turned to Victoria after a while._

"_No, thank God," he answered. "She's only frightened."_

"_I meant you," corrected Victoria, seeing the pale face of the young de la Vega. Diego looked unsure, but he shook his head._

"_I'm alright," he reassured her. "It will be the best if we go back home, won't it, Isabel?" he asked, turning to his daughter. The girl nodded and slipped from the table to stand by her father. "It will be calm there."_

"_Are you sure?" señorita Escalante was still watching him closely. Diego couldn't help the feeling that he would be seeing double now, if he had held his daughter a bit longer. His arm was pulsing with pain and he didn't even want to check his dressings. The best thing to do was to escape as soon as possible._

"_Yes, sure," he answered, a bit distracted. "I'm afraid we will eat another time. Adios," he said and led Isabel to the horses, not looking back at Victoria._

ZZZ_._

"What am I going to do?" repeated Diego, when Felipe finished putting on the fresh bandages. "I don't know, but I have to be careful. It was close that at least Victoria and Isabel would have noticed that something was wrong," he admitted. He creased his eyebrows when Felipe signed to him. "Yes, I know I have to be very careful around them," answered Diego, not paying much attention. He took a few medicines to help his arm heal, but they dulled his senses. So only when Felipe repeated, did Diego fully understand what he was trying to tell him.

"I have to be careful with Isabel? She asked about me?" he repeated aloud. "That I'm sick?" Diego cursed. His daughter was far too observant. The young de la Vega planned to hide his wound from everybody, but it seemed Isabel watched him too closely not to notice it. That wasn't the best revelation Felipe had for him. The boy made a sign meaning Victoria, then pointed at Diego and signed quickly.

"That I... WHAT? Isabel told Victoria that I love her? Diego de la Vega?"

Felipe nodded, but couldn't tell him anything else. The young caballero sighed, resigned. He had to be really careful, which meant he would spend the coming hours in the cave. He didn't even want to go anywhere, Zorro's cave was the best place now, considering his mood.

ZZZ

She was left alone again. Isabel went around the hacienda twice, but she didn't find anyone. Of course, there was Maria in the kitchen, and some vaqueros outside, but she wasn't allowed to disturb them. Isabel wasn't interested in their company, after all. The previous day, when they returned from the pueblo, papa vanished somewhere and didn't come back for a long time, and then he didn't pay attention to her. And he looked more sick than in the last week. Isabel didn't question him about it, but she couldn't help but spy on him. She was surprised to see that Felipe was the only one who seemed to notice anything except her. The boy was sending his mentor an inquiring look, but when Isabel asked him about Diego, he just smiled and shook his head, as if he wanted to reassure her that everything was alright.

What to do? Papa had given her some paints, but she didn't want to paint alone. Isabel went through the corridor again and stopped by the doors to Diego's room. She knew they weren't locked, like other doors in the hacienda. Suddenly she got an idea. She shouldn't, but... The house was empty, papa was probably out in the pastures, or maybe he was selling his newspaper in the pueblo. And his room was too tempting to resist.

Quietly, not to call the bad luck, she opened the doors and slipped inside. She had been there only twice and for a short time. Diego rarely sat in his room during the day, and he preferred the library in the evenings, when he was at home of course. So, given a chance to see how her father was living, she didn't want to lose it. Isabel saw the books lying in a pile on the desk, but she didn't find anything interesting. Then she opened the drawer. There were the usual things inside – empty sheets of paper, pencils, pens and an inkwell. A bit disappointed, she opened the door under the drawer. She found there paints and a few quite good sketches. Isabel looked at them closely and then put them back in their place, because she didn't want her father to notice anything. Kneeling on the floor, she saw something leaned against the wall and hidden under a fabric. Intrigued, she came closer and took off the material and uncovered a few paintings. The first of them showed a vase with flowers. Full, yellow sunflowers pranced among little wildflowers. Isabel felt pity that such a nice picture was standing hidden. Why wasn't it hanging anywhere? She would gladly take it to her room, if she could. Curious, she put it aside to see the others. Most of them presented still lifes. Except from one. The last, big picture stood back to the wall and Isabel had to move it to see the painting. From the frame Victoria Escalante looked at her with dreaming eyes. Isabel already saw this image, the sketch was still hanging in the tavern. She knew it was a reminder of the election, but, though well drawn, it couldn't compete with the original. Victoria looked beautiful. And she told Isabel that papa wasn't in love with her? Was it why the painting was hidden, because Diego didn't want to show his feelings? Papa was sometimes strange, thought Isabel when she put the paintings back on their place. Reassured that the fabric covered them like it did before, the girl prowled in lockers and drawers. She found some interesting things, but it was an inconspicuous drawer with ties that gave her the most interesting discovery. Isabel looked for a while at what she had found. She hesitated for a moment, but then closed the drawer and ran back to her room, keeping her prize close.

ZZZ

"Diego? Diego!" Don Alejandro came vigorously to the living room and looked for his son, but he was absent again. "Where is that boy again?" he murmured to himself, checking the other rooms. He thought more and more frequently that he would never understand his son. Like now. Diego had helped him with cattle and took part in the ranch's daily life. But for two or three days Alejandro barely saw him. When he got up in the morning, Diego was still sleeping, so he ate breakfast alone and left. During siesta Diego slipped quickly through the hacienda, visibly in a hurry, and disappeared again. Alejandro was lucky if he found him in the library in the evening and knew at least, where his son was. What was Diego doing that preoccupied him so much? He would have to ask him, providing that they would even meet at home.

"Buenos dias, abuelo," instead of his son, his granddaughter answered him. The girl was sitting in the library and playing with her porcelain doll Diego had bought her in Monterey. She wasn't very enthusiastic.

"Isabel, do you know, where Diego is?" asked Alejandro, answering with a gesture at her greeting. The little one usually followed her father's every step, so maybe she knew where he could find him. Isabel disappointed him, though.

"I haven't seen papa today," she replied. "Nor Felipe."

"Never mind," Alejandro waved his hand with irritation. "If you see him, tell him I went to the pueblo. De Soto didn't care for the courier's safety again."

"Abuelo, may I go with you?" asked Isabel pleadingly. "Papa will be back in the evening and I'm boooored," she begged.

"Don't you have anything you should do?" asked Alejandro a bit harshly. He was angry at Diego and subconsciously turned it to his daughter. The issue of finding a governess for Isabel had been put aside, as they had a lot of duties, but it was high time to find a governess for the girl.

"I finished yesterday everything papa told me to," answered Isabel a bit offended. When she gave her father her notebook in the evening, Diego just nodded absently and took it to check everything. Isabel expected him to give her more exercises, but she hadn't seen her father since supper.

"So you may go," agreed Alejandro. Isabel held back her enthusiasm. She had already learned that it was better to act properly in front of her grandfather, because the elder de la Vega still had mixed feelings towards her. Yes, he liked the girl and her vigorous character, but sometimes he couldn't forget how he had became a grandfather. His bitter comments, if they appeared, were directed only to Diego and only when they were alone. They usually concerned the girl's upbringing. Alejandro preferred old, strict methods and didn't approve of the liberties Diego allowed his daughter and worse, didn't see anything improper in it. Isabel was aware of it, so she took to her heart Diego's advice to be proper in her grandfather's presence. So now she just smiled put her doll away and went with the elder de la Vega, bustling inside with enthusiasm. She had so much to tell Victoria! Alejandro didn't even notice that the girl took a small bag, another thing bought by Diego during their visit in Monterey.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter eight**

"Buenos dias, don Alejandro." Victoria stood behind the bar as always and served her customers. She was a bit surprised that the elder de la Vega had come with his granddaughter, but she said nothing, only smiled to herself. The time must have been on Isabel's side.

"Buenos dias, Victoria," Alejandro greeted her.

"What can I do for you?"

"Carlos and Esteban are already here?" the elder de la Vega looked around and saw his friends sitting by one of the tables. "Oh, excellent. Victoria, can you please give us a bottle of wine and glasses..." Alejandro stopped and looked down at Isabel, who stood calmly beside him.

"And some juice for our young lady?" finished Victoria with a smile. "Of course. But where is Diego?" she asked finally. Isabel usually came to the pueblo with her father or Felipe, Alejandro never took her with him.

"I would like to know that too," answered the elder de la Vega with irritation. "I thought maybe he's in his office, but no. He disappeared again with Felipe."

"And he didn't take me," added Isabel offended.

"Come, we will drink some juice," offered Victoria. She guessed, and Alejandro's grateful glance made her sure, that the elder caballero didn't know what she would do during his meeting with friends.

"Are you sure?" asked Alejandro. "I don't want to make you any troubles."

"Isabel knows the rules and won't be making any troubles," Victoria reassured him. The girl smiled and disappeared behind the curtain.

"Papa is still sick," said Isabel, when Victoria joined her a moment later. "He only doesn't say anything. And I don't know where he is."

"But it makes no sense," pointed out señorita Escalante. "Why should he do that?"

"I don't know. But last time you didn't want to believe me, and now I have a proof!" said Isabel suddenly and she triumphantly gave her a stuck of paper she took from her bag.

"Isabel, what is it?" Victoria took the sheets unsurely, on first sight recognizing Diego's handwriting. "Where did you get it from?"

"Love poems," replied Isabel as if she was saying the most obvious thing in the world. "About you, or to you."

Victoria had already noticed that. She went over the first poem and, blushing, took another. Yes, these poems were undoubtedly directed to her. She must again verify her opinion about her friend. How come he knew so much about her? All these romantic remarks about her lips and eyes... When did he watch her so closely? Why was he putting all these feelings on paper? Why did he write about her as if he...

"There was a painting too, but I couldn't take it," said Isabel freely, breaking the silence. She looked very pleased of herself.

"A painting? Where?" asked Victoria. „Where did you take these poems from?"

"From papa's bedroom," replied the girl. "They were between his cravats."

Victoria consumed this information for a moment. Diego kept his love poems hidden in his wardrobe... But then she realized what Isabel had said.

"You rummaged through Diego's things?" she asked harshly. "These are your father's private belongings and you shouldn't have touched them.

"But..."

"No buts, Isabel," the señorita cut her off. "Promise me you will put these poems back and you will never rummage through Diego's thing again. Or I will tell him about this," she threatened, barely holding her smile. Diego's face, if she had waved his own poems right in front of his nose, would certainly be priceless. Victoria didn't know how to react. It would be best if she pretended that nothing had happened, but she didn't know if she was able to do so.

"I just wanted..."

"I know."

"I promise," said the girl finally. "I won't touch anything. But why Abuelo was so angry today?" she asked suddenly, changing the topic.

"Probably because the courier was robbed," replied Victoria. "A few letters he was waiting for are gone."

"Why Zorro didn't do anything?" Isabel looked questioningly at her elder friend. She had already noticed that the people relied on their defender.

"Zorro is wounded," said Victoria shortly and returned to her cooking. "He probably won't do anything."

"If Papa were Zorro, he would do something," stated Isabel surely. Señorita Escalante burst out laughing. If Diego started being Zorro, the world would certainly stand on its head. Isabel has sometimes crazy ideas, thought Victoria and went to the main room with a tray in her hands. She was still smiling when she put the orders on the tables and returned to the kitchen. In a meanwhile Isabel came to another conclusions.

"But Victoria, Papa can be Zorro," she stated right when the señorita came in. "Zorro can fight well, just as Papa," she noticed.

"I don't think so, Isabel," replied Victoria with laughter, thinking at the same time why the little one was so stubborn about Diego being a good swordsman. Nothing could change her mind, neither Victoria's raillery, nor Diego's assertions. "They are too different."

"Really?" now Isabel seemed to be truly surprised. "Like what? You told me Zorro makes many tricks. You should see what papa can do! And they are similar height."

"It is no proof," Victoria was still skeptical. "I can't imagine Diego can do things like Zorro does."

"Why now?" asked Isabel swaggered, staring at Victoria with a challenge in her eyes.

"Because..." Victoria started, but cut off. If fact, why. She had already noticed that her friend was capable of doing things she had never thought him to do. But well, everything ended somewhere. "It's not like Diego," she finished, laughing in disbelief.

"But Papa loves you. And Zorro too," Isabel was still stubborn, as if she was more and more sure she was right.

"It's not a proof," replied Victoria, but then she went serious. She leant over Isabel and said. "Don't tell anybody what we talked about, or Diego will be in big troubles. If anyone would think that he is Zorro... De Soto might not look at the facts, but use the occasion to get rid of your father. Remember that there is a high prize on Zorro's head. Catching Zorro means his death, do you understand it?"

"I do," the girl nodded seriously. "I won't tell anybody, not even Abuelo."

"Don't tell Diego too," added Victoria. "He will be embarrassed," she explained. Feeling a bit guilty, she realized that she often compared Diego with Zorro and that her friend didn't take it well. Isabel's appearance, paradoxically, made him more self-assured. The girl admired him and it did him well.

"If you say so... Alright, I won't tell him," Isabel agreed unwillingly.

"And don't forget about these poems," added Victoria and they both went to the main room of the tavern.

ZZZ

The room was stuffy despite the open window, the blanket too warm, the pillow too hard. Victoria twirled in her bed, tired after a long day, but she couldn't sleep. She kept turning back to her talk with Isabel. Now that she thought about it, she realized she had suspected a few times that Diego had stronger feelings towards her than just friendship. Each time though, he had done something that had denied her suspicions, or she had thrown these thoughts from her head, not wanting to change their relationship. But now... Now she could cheat herself no more. Diego de la Vega, her friend, a person she was ready to share with almost every secret, was in love with her, while she was in love with Zorro. And what was she going to do? She could only guess how much effort Diego put to hide his own feelings. Knowing his sensibility, Victoria suspected that he didn't want to push her in any way or oblige her to anything because of his declarations. It was safer and healthier to be just friends.

The matchmaker had once told her that Diego had no romantic bone. Victoria had today proofs in her hand that it wasn't true. Diego put all his emotions on the paper, he closed all his feelings in these heart catching poems... Victoria realized suddenly how little she knew about the person she considered as her friend. Yes, she knew him well, they met almost every day, but what did she really know about his daily habits? It was commonly known that Diego, if only he could, would sit in his library with his books, that he was interested in science and technology, that he didn't like violence... But how much of it was true? Despite the ostentation her friend sometimes talked about some issues, Victoria knew he was in fact a very shy person. He was always proper, sometimes even too much, but from the other side... Isabel was a proof that Diego knew something about passion and breaking all the conventions. If he had hidden it so well, if he had never mentioned his romance, what else didn't she know about him? She and probably everybody else. How much Diego kept just for himself?

There was one more thing. However Isabel's remark that Diego could be Zorro sounded funny, Victoria couldn't forget about it. The experience of last month had taught her that there was more in the young caballero that he showed to the world. How much more? Isabel insisted that Diego was a good swordsman. Very good. And during these five years how many times had she seen him with a sword in his hand? One, two... three times. And how many times had he actually used it? Only once. Too bad as for a good swordsman. The only time Diego actually took his sword and stood up to a duel Victoria remembered very well. Insulting her was the reason her friend had challenged sir Miles Thackery. How could she not notice it earlier? The crowd had surrounded the plaza then, when the two men were to cross their swords, but she herself was afraid to watch, certain that her friend would soon die. Diego had no idea how to fight with an experienced swordsman, but.. but he had faced him longer than Louis Ramone or any of the soldiers. How was it possible?

ZZZ

The empty hacienda gave her recently interesting discoveries. Isabel still felt joyous excitement at the thought of her last finding. Secrets with Victoria made her trips to the pueblo important and interesting. The poems written by her father were a proof good enough for the tavern owner. Isabel was very curious what her elder friend was going to do. Diego seemed to hamper any action. He avoided Victoria. Ha avoided everyone and everything, which irritated the girl, because her father didn't pay attention to her.

After making sure she was alone, Isabel went on her searching. It wasn't what her mother, and recently Diego had taught her, but the boredom and curiosity were stronger. She already knew her father's room, including all the cupboards and a trunk under his bed. Now it was the time to discover other secrets in the hacienda. Only her grandfather's bedroom and cabinet were untouchable. Don Alejandro de la Vega commanded respect. Papa was admired and loved, and she could do anything with him. Isabel wouldn't dare the same towards her grandfather.

A solid chair was an irrevocable help for the girl, who couldn't reach everywhere because her height. Isabel brought it to the bookshelf in the library and stood on it to look at the books standing on the shelves. She was curious what her father kept over her reach. And someone had taken from the table a book she was reading and the girl wanted to find it.

On the shelf stood only books she didn't know, so she left them. A bit disappointed she noticed that nothing was hidden behind them, like in one of the stories she had recently read. But the other point of view allowed her to see her missing book on the cornice of the fireplace. Glad, she went down from the chair and placed it by the fireplace. She had to put it awry, because it shook when she stood on it. The girl grabbed the cornice not to fall down. The chair steadied itself, but something else had happened. The wall in the fireplace moved aside, opening an entrance. Isabel smiled widely. THAT was very interesting.

She had probably just found the reason her father and Felipe disappeared so often in the library. She had already noticed that papa and his charge were able to vanish before she could see where they went. The entrance in the fireplace was an explanation.

Isabel get down from the chair and went over the hearth. At the other sine a single candle gave a faint light on the stairs. The girl ran down and found herself in a twilight of a big room. Two or three candles, lit no matter if someone was inside or not, gave little light, but enough to look around.

There was a big table with many dishes. The girl's eyes shone with understanding when she recognized the ones her father had used when he had showed her some of his experiments.

"Ooooh," she sighed. "So Papa keeps it all here," she said to herself, coming closer to watch everything better. She still remembered Diego's show ended by a spectacular explosion, so she didn't touch anything. Why Papa didn't tell her anything? It was amazing!

Something snorted. Isabel jumped at this sudden sound and looked around. From behind the fence looked at her dark eyes of a black horse. The girl rubbed her eyes. A horse? In a cave? And it looked familiar. Isabel came closer to the wooden barrier and reached her hand. Soft nostrils touched her hand in search for tidbits.

"What are you doing here?" asked the girl, smoothing the horse's nose.

The stallion snorted in response and licked her hand. Isabel played with him for a while, and then went on further research. Why was her father keeping a horse in the cave? What for? There was a big stable by the hacienda, there would be enough space for one more horse. Isabel passed by the table and saw another riddle. Black clothes and a sword were hanging on a hanger. The girl joyfully clapped her hands. This explained everything. So she was right! Papa WAS Zorro! Excited with her discovery, she ran up the stairs and froze.

She had an uniform wall in front of her. There was no entrance to the library, it had to close behind her. _Papa will find me here and he will be angry, _thought Isabel. For some reason he kept hiding in this strange place. Right, Zorro was an outlaw. She wouldn't have to be genius to understand, why Diego kept Toronado in hiding. No one... Victoria didn't know! Isabel realized suddenly that señorita Escalante would love to know this. But to tell her everything, Isabel had to find the way out, fortunately without Diego's knowledge about her presence here. She remembered how she opened the entrance from the other side, so she started knocking to the wall inch by inch.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter nine**

„Oh, forgive me," said automatically Victoria, in the last moment holding a glass and preventing it from falling on the floor. She was so busy she didn't look where she was going. Then she raised her eyes and saw on whom she had fallen.

"Never mind, Victoria," Diego de la Vega looked at her with his usual calm smile. He must have realized that he had caught her, because he got confused and took back his hand. He stepped back to let her go through the doors.

"Diego, I haven't seen you for a long time," Victoria passed by her friend and went on the porch to hide her confusion. Diego's touch, though unintended, had a new meaning to her now.

"I was very busy recently," admitted the young de la Vega, watching her as she was putting glasses on the table. Victoria glanced at him over her shoulder and noticed that he had leant his head and strangely crossed his arms. What was that supposed to mean?

„Really?" Victoria looked at him skeptically. „What kept you so busy?" she asked, and then remembered Isabel's statement. She creased her eyebrows. Diego really looked tired. He had shadows under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept much... When she thought about it, she realized that recently Diego looked like this every time she had seen him. But why? And not only when she started paying attention after Isabel told her about her father's illness, but also earlier. What was Diego hiding?

„What's the metter?" the young de la Vega noticed her stare and got confused.

"Are you feeling alright?" asked Victoria. "You don't look well."

"What? Yes, of course," Diego sent her a bit confused smile. "I found yesterday one of my favorite books and before I realized half of the night had already passed."

Surely, just Diego, thought Victoria, but suddenly this explanation wasn't enough for her. She leaned over one of the tables to clean it. She would gladly ask her friend a few, or maybe more than a few questions, but when she turned back, he wasn't at the porch. He was on his way through the plaza to his office.

"He escaped," she commented. She would never understand Diego and his behavior. Victoria took her things and went back to the kitchen. She only didn't expect to find Isabel waiting there for her.

"Victoria, Victoria!" exclaimed the girl when she saw her. "It's good you're here!"

"Good morning, Isabel," answered the señorita with laughter, seeing her excitement. "I didn't know you came with Diego."

"Papa is in the pueblo?" the girl was surprised. "Oh, he can't see me!" she exclaimed.

"You came alone?" guessed Victoria. She put the dirty dishes on the table and started preparing the clean ones. "I thought Diego told you not to come alone, it's dangerous," she reminded her.

"I won't get lost on a straight road," remarked the offended girl. "I had to come, I have to tell you something. Papa can't know, please!" Isabel jumped and grabbed Victoria's hand. "Come, I have to show you something!" she said.

"Show me?" repeated the señorita. "Isabel, what are you up to?" she asked suspiciously. "You didn't rummage in Diego's things again?"

"No, I didn't touch anything!" the girl reassured her quickly. "It was an accident. Come oooon!"

"Where? And what for?" asked Victoria. The siesta was coming and she could leave the tavern, but she would rather know what for.

"I can't tell you here, it's dangerous," whispered Isabel and drew a "Z" in the air. "Really!"

"Has something happened to him?" asked Victoria, concerned.

"No, nothing, but I have something important to tell you and show you," insisted the girl. Victoria gave up.

"Alright," she agreed. "Wait here for me, I will tell Pilar I'm leaving," she added and went to the main room.

A few minutes they were both outside the pueblo. Victoria noticed they were going to the hacienda. She looked around and when she saw nobody, she asked:

"Well, what's going on?"

"You laughed at me when I told you Papa could be Zorro," started Isabel. "You didn't want to believe me."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have," Victoria admitted sincerely. Since that conversation she had thought a lot about Diego, if she had really known him and she had to admit that she had underestimated her friend and his abilities. The doubts caused by his strange behavior made her believe in many things.

"You didn't want to believe me, but I was right," said Isabel strongly. "Papa not just can be Zorro. He is Zorro."

"What?" After all, Victoria wasn't ready for such a revelation. "How? How can you know?"

"I saw his cave. And his blade. And clothes. And Toronado!"

"The cave? You were in Zorro's hideout?" repeated Victoria, intrigued. "How did you come in there?"

"Through the fireplace in the library," answered Isabel enthusiastically. "I will show you!"

Victoria stared at the road in front of her. When the first shock passed, she noticed a bit astonished that she wasn't very surprised. All the puzzles had found their places. The apparent contradictions she had recently seen in Diego were now understandable. But why did her friend sometimes... Of course! No one should ever compare the young de la Vega to Zorro, because he would end quickly in the jail. So Diego had for years kept the illusion of the young caballero, always a bit distracted, fascinated in science only to act as Zorro. How did he do that? Victoria recalled her last meeting with Zorro. Why did he break their engagement? Did he have enough of her? Or maybe she was too hard on him, on Diego, not Zorro, and because of that the alter ego of the young de la Vega broke with her? But Diego still kept seeing her, he talked with her, and she, sensitive now, saw his silent affect.

So why? Why did he break with her? Since Isabel came to her tavern at night and Victoria didn't tell her friend about it, she didn't do anything Diego could be angry at her. So what... Victoria glanced at the girl accompanying her and she knew. Zorro told her about some obligations the man behind the mask had. Victoria could bet it was his daughter. Yeah, Diego and his propriety... The woman burst out laughing when she realized that Diego had not always been as proper as he had been when they were forced to spend a night in the old windmill. Maybe past experiences had taught him something. The thought that Diego had grown up was funny, especially because she used to consider young de la Vega as a person taking the whole life too seriously. In comparison to him Zorro was usually far more free and joyful. And now it seemed that he was the same person, separating these two personalities as much as he could.

She had just seen Diego, Zorro... Victoria recalled their meeting at the porch and one detail that had attracted her attention but she hadn't had a chance to ask Diego because he had flown away. Now she didn't need his answer. Isabel was smart, very smart... And Zorro was wounded when Victoria last saw him. A week had passed since then, but she didn't know where the bullet hit him. She realized that today Diego's strange movement must have been an effort to protect his arm. She must have hurt him accidentally. And Diego told her he had spent half of the night reading... She would never believe again in that excuse.

The hacienda was empty. Victoria looked around, feeling a bit like an intruder. She knew Diego was in the pueblo, but explaining to his father what she was looking for in their fireplace would be a problematic thing. Fortunately the elder de la Vega was absent too and Isabel wasn't going to wait. She grabbed Victoria's hand and led her straight to the library. She jumped and opened the entrance. Victoria felt her heart fastened. She had already been there, downstairs, she knew what to expect... but knowing where Zorro lived when he wasn't Zorro was exciting too.

"What's that?" She was surprised when she almost tripped over a stool at the other side of the passage.

"I had to open the entrance," explained Isabel, shrugging her shoulders. "You will reach it," she said and took the stool to carry it downstairs.

The cave hadn't changed much since her last visit. The only thing Victoria noticed was a mess, as if no one had cleaned it up. _I guess Diego had no time nor strength,_ she thought, remembering the tidiness, though Zorro surely hadn't made cleaning before she had awoken. A rope hanging between the walls was also a new thing. Black Zorro's outfits were drying there and Victoria smiled. She would never thought she would witness such a trivial thing. Alcalde wouldn't believe it too, but Zorro also had to do the washing up. An attempt to imagine Zorro doing his washing himself was funny, but Diego de la Vega doing the same thing made her laugh even more. She could imagine many things, but Diego and laundry?

Isabel must have noticed her interest, because she came closer to the rope. There were also long stripes of stained linen hanging at one side. The girl took one of them and watched it closely.

"What's that?" she asked, creasing her eyebrows. She looked anxious.

"Dressings," replied Victoria. "Diego is not ill, Isabel," she said seriously. "Zorro was wounded, remember, I told you," she reminded her. The girl quickly hung the bandage back and looked at Victoria with fear.

"Papa is wounded? But..."

"Don't be afraid, Diego would certainly get help if it was something serious," Victoria calmed her down, though she wasn't so sure. But she had seen Diego and she could tell if something was really wrong with him. "I have one request. Could you not tell Diego today that you know about the cave and Zorro?" she asked suddenly. A plan was slowly forming in her mind. Now, when she knew the truth, she wasn't going to wait if Diego or Zorro was finally going to do something. And she knew what she was going to do.

"But why?"

"I promise he will get to know tomorrow, alright?" said Victoria. "I need to talk to your father about some important things and I don't want to let him deny anything," she explained shortly. "It will be our secret. Only until tomorrow."

"Alright!" Isabel smiled joyfully. „I won't say a word!" she promised.

"Come on, let's go before Diego find us here," Victoria laughed and they both rushed up the stairs.

ZZZ

Don Alejandro angrily made a piece of paper in half and threw it on a pile of papers on the edge of his desk. His friend from Monterey had informed him about current affairs he should be pleased with, but this last letter had ruined his good mood. Why could he not arrange this one, seemingly trivial matter? And where was Diego again? The elder de la Vega came from his cabinet when he heard the doors being closed.

"Diego, finally!" he said in an irritated voice, seeing his son and inseparable Felipe with him. "What kept you so long?"

"The printing press got stammered," replied Diego and looked down at his hands he unsuccessfully to wash before going back home. Felipe glanced at him, then at his father and seeing the tension between them, he quickly disappeared. "We couldn't fix it. Has something happened?"

"I wanted to talk with you about Isabel." Don Alejandro opened the doors to his cabinet and then looked back at his son. "Have you eaten anything?"

"Yes, we were at Victoria with Felipe," nodded Diego and followed his father. Taught by his previous experience, he closed the doors behind him, not wanting Isabel to eavesdrop them again. "So what is it?"

"The governess won't come," said Alejandro. "I got a letter from her, she wrote she got a job there in Monterey so she doesn't want to move."

"That's understandable," Diego pointed out. "But it's not such a tragedy. We will manage for a couple of weeks more."

"Isabel needs a patroness. A woman," stressed Alejandro, before Diego started protesting. "You can't take her with you everywhere, she might see things that she's not supposed to see. And someone has to fill her time."

"Isabel can very well take care of herself," said Diego, sincerely surprised by that remark. He hadn't seen his daughter since morning, Felipe wasn't complaining about her, so she had to find something interesting to do. He knew of course that he should pay more attention to his daughter, but he wanted to be careful a few more days until his arm got better. He was surprised today that Isabel didn't run to greet him when he came home, like she usually did. She must have been doing something really interesting.

"Or at least when I was at her age, I was able to..." Started Diego, but stopped and silently cursed himself for bringing that topic. His father creased his eyebrows, suddenly clouded. When Diego was at Isabel's age, he had spent a lot of time alone and he had had to be creative if he hadn't wanted to be bored. Alejandro had been then in grief after losing his wife and he hadn't paid much attention to his son. But Diego shouldn't have reminded him of that right now.

"Don't make my mistakes," said Alejandro seriously, surprising his son. "Isabel admires you, that's good. But she needs a woman to raise her and tell her about... women's affairs. You won't do that," he pointed out. Diego thought of what he knew about women, then what he didn't know and blushed. No, the governess was certainly needed to do that.

"You see the point," Alejandro couldn't not smile when he saw his son's expression. Diego was a good father, but sometimes something happened that made him completely lost. "Remember, Isabel is not Felipe. And she won't always want and should do what he or you did at her age," he reminded him. Diego only nodded.

"Will you ask your friends if someone can recommend a governess?"

ZZZ

Victoria was cleaning her tavern in the evening, knowing that she was going to have another sleepless night. She succeeded in avoiding Diego after she came from the hacienda. She wasn't ready for it and she feared she would betray herself. Fortunately Pilar was serving when the young de la Vega came for dinner, and she was in the kitchen. Now she was left alone with dirty pots and her own thoughts.

Despite what Zorro had feared then, in the cave, she wasn't disappointed when she learned the truth. Just opposite, comparing Diego and Zorro and putting these two images into one was very exciting. Maybe because the young de la Vega had intrigued her recently?

The second thing was the reason why Zorro had tried to break their engagement. It must have been because of Isabel. Victoria could no longer be angry at him, when she realized that Zorro, or rather Diego wanted to be fair with her. Isabel was his daughter and this required responsibility. The fact that he had given up their romance only said that he treated her seriously and didn't want to do anything without knowing if she would accept him with a daughter. It was very mature decision, like her friend Diego would do. And if the same Diego, while wearing a black mask, could act without this stiffness and be joyful, without losing his manners... How could she not like him? Handsome, gallant Diego in a suit and with a blade by his side... Victoria had no troubles imagining that and then she remembered that she had seen him like that. Just after his return, when he almost started fighting because of her. It was so long time ago... And then Diego had stepped back. No, it wasn't a good word. It was Diego who defended Enrique Vargas, who was accused of stealing money from the alcalde's bank, it was Diego who came to the idea of making de Soto sleep and persuade him that a week had passed instead of one day... After a moment of thinking Victoria was able to recall many situations when the young de la Vega had showed some of his charisma he had when he came back from Spain.

Victoria laughed suddenly. And this man was afraid of her! She remembered well how scared Zorro was when he was about to take off his mask in the cave. Not of the soldiers, not bandits, but of her! He probably cared less of the risk of being shot than he cared of her reaction to the truth. Still laughing, señorita Escalante finished her cleaning and went upstairs with a candle in her hand. She had to be prepared tomorrow. And Diego shall see her answer.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** That's the last chapter. Thank to everybody who kept reading this story and for all these kind reviews. I'm sorry for keeping you waiting so long between updates.

And many, many thanks to **lbindner** who checked the whole story.

**Chapter ten**

Eyes red from crying, bad humor and general appearance of a person who hadn't slept much last night worked well. When Diego came to the tavern, he immediately noticed bad spirits of his friend. Isabel, who followed him, glanced curiously at the tavern owner, but didn't say a word. That was exactly what Victoria was counting on.

"What happened, Victoria?" asked the young de la Vega, standing by the bar, where the señorita was preparing a breakfast for someone. "What troubles you?"

"Buenos dias, Diego," murmured the woman absently, keeping her eyes down. "Nothing..." she added unconvincingly. Like she predicted, Diego didn't give up.

"Victoria, you know you can always talk with me." Diego leaned against the bar to be closer to her. "We are friends."

"It's not something we can talk here in my tavern," replied Victoria and leaned, seemingly to take something from the floor, but in fact to hide her smile. _Yeah, 'friends'._ "Diego, I have a lot of work, I can't waste my time..."

"So maybe you would like to come for a dinner today?" offered Diego. "So we can talk freely."

"Come!" added Isabel enthusiastically. "It's been long since you visited us," she insisted. Victoria hesitated for a moment.

"It won't be any trouble?" she asked.

"Certainly not," Diego reassured her with a smile. "On the contrary. You know you are always welcome."

"Alright, so I will close for siesta and come," Victoria decided finally. "Gracias."

"At your service," replied Diego gallantly and Victoria almost betrayed herself. It was Zorro who usually behaved like that towards her, not Diego. "We will see each other at the hacienda. I will send a carriage for you," offered Diego. Victoria nodded her thanks. "Come, Isabel, we have to tell Maria."

Diego left with his daughter and Victoria rushed to the kitchen. Then, when she was alone, she leaned against the wall and started laughing. Her friend hadn't yet known what he had gotten himself into.

ZZZ

"Papa, papa, help me!" Isabel's calling cut Diego's reading. He had just found a moment to sit down and finish the chapter, but his daughter had visibly different plans.

"What is it, Isabel?" asked the young de la Vega, putting away the book with a sigh. He stood up and wanted to go to his daughter's room, but the girl was already on the corridor.

"I'm entangled," she said complainingly. Her father was speechless for a moment. He had never thought he would find himself in situation when he would have to help his daughter dress up. Isabel was standing in the middle of the corridor in her most elegant dress he had bought her in Monterey. He himself felt a bit lost when he saw all the bindings and buckles. He wasn't surprised that the girl couldn't deal with them all. And the fact that Isabel, trying to free herself, had taken on of her hands from the sleeve to have more freedom.

"Isabel, dress up," moaned Diego. "Don't wander around house like that."

"But I can't," the girl replied resolutely. "Free me," she asked.

Diego, a bit panicked, came closer and took his daughter to her room. Then he tried to work out all the bindings Isabel had accidentally tightened. Then, in Monterey, he felt it wasn't a dress suitable for such a little girl, but well, he had told the seamstresses to dress Isabel like they wanted so he couldn't complain now.

"Why are you so overdressed?" asked Diego suspiciously, when he realized what was wrong. "It's a dress for a party."

"Why, Victoria is coming, isn't she?" said the girl. "Don't tighten so much, you will simmer me!" she protested whe4n Diego tightened the ribbon to loosen the knot.

"Yes, but it's just a dinner," replied Diego, ignoring the remark about clasping. "With no special occasion, so I ask you not to dress like that – he repeated. With some difficulties he untied the last ribbons. "Go, get changed," he ordered and left.

ZZZ

The morning passed more quickly than Victoria thought. Maybe because she had been busy all the time, she thought while washing the dishes. She barely managed to finish everything on time before closing the tavern for siesta. She was afraid she would leave some of that to Pilar, but she had finished and now she could go to the de la Vegas for a dinner. She was very curious if Isabel managed to keep her mouth shut and hadn't said Diego anything. She hoped not, she really wanted to control that conversation.

Before going out, Victoria went upstairs to her room. After a moment of hesitation she changed into a blue dress and fastened her hair with a buckle. Diego had invited her with no special reason, just to cheer her up, but nevertheless Victoria thought she would go dressed in something else than a skirt she had all day in the kitchen. And... Well, she knew the reason of her visit. Only Diego didn't know yet that it was going to be a very memorable afternoon.

Victoria reached for her jewelry box and took the ring Zorro had given to her when he had proposed. She watched it for a moment, and then put on her finger. If Diego would notice it too soon, maybe he would worry a bit, thought Victoria happily. She had to be careful not to show the ring to don Alejandro, but she doubted the elder de la Vega would pay attention to her jewelry.

Victoria looked through the window and saw Felipe stopping the carriage in front of the tavern porch. What was more interesting, Isabel came too. When the carriage stopped, the girl jumped on the ground and ran to the tavern. Hearing her knocking to the doors, Victoria smiled to herself and went downstairs. If she was excited, she imagined Isabel was barely able to sit still.

"Papa is anxious," said Isabel. "Or worried."

"Have you told him?" asked Victoria, trying to hide her disappointment. She was only a girl...

"No, of course not," replied Isabel, offended. "I promised you I won't," she reminded her. "But Papa is worried because you were sad in the morning," she added, when they went to the carriage.

Felipe nodded his greeting to Victoria and rushed the horses when his companions sat comfortably. He was grateful Isabel hadn't insisted on sitting with him. Felipe understood that driving was an attraction for her, but he didn't want Diego to have another reason to argue with his father. Don Alejandro had already disapproved of some things his granddaughter was doing. Felipe at first wasn't paying attention to what Isabel started telling Victoria, but when she lowered her voice, he subconsciously started listening.

"When are you going to tell him?" asked Isabel quietly. "Now?"

"No, after dinner," replied Victoria. "It will take long once we start."

Felipe barely forced himself not to turn and ask what they were talking about. He wasn't supposed to hear that conversation. Nevertheless, he was curious what Victoria wanted to talk with Diego about.

"Oh, I can't wait!" exclaimed Isabel and Felipe could easily imagine her excited smile. It seemed that whatever Victoria was up to, Isabel knew about it. Felipe was used to the fact that among people he knew it was Diego who kept secrets. And Felipe happened to know about everything, so now he felt strange being a witness of someone else's conspiracy. He tried to listen, but Victoria didn't continue the subject. The boy couldn't help the feeling that Diego won't be glad.

ZZZ

"So what troubles you, Victoria?" asked Diego finally, when the dishes after dinner were taken and Marie served tea and cookies. During the meal Victoria was calm, but now she lowered her head and kept in her fingers something he couldn't see. Diego glanced at his daughter who couldn't sit still.

"Isabel, you're free to go," he said, but the girl shook her head and didn't move. Diego winced. If he wanted to talk with Victoria and find out what was troubling her, the little one might disturb them. The señorita though only smiled, letting him know that she didn't mind.

"It's about Zorro," said Victoria after a while. She still played with the rind and she knew Diego couldn't see that and was probably curious. She raised her head and glanced at the young de la Vega. She had to admit that he hadn't reveal himself with anything. For the time being...

"What happened to Zorro?" asked don Alejandro carefully. He took the cup of tea and thanked Felipe. The boy filled also Victoria's cup and sat next to Isabel.

"To him? Nothing serious, he's quite well from what I know," replied Victoria and couldn't resist looking at Diego. She noticed with satisfaction that her friend was already a bit nervous by now. "Diego, when I had twisted ankle, you asked me why I looked so happy," she said, turning to the young de la Vega.

"Si, I remember," nodded Diego. He reached for his cup, but must have changed his mind, because he put his hand on the table. "You didn't want to tell me then," he reminded her.

"Zorro proposed to me then," explained Victoria. "That's why I was so happy."

"You're engaged with Zorro?" She had to admit, Diego still held on, still played. Victoria put her hands on the table, but kept the ring hidden.

"That's the problem," said Victoria. She purposely didn't look at Isabel, because she would certainly start laughing, seeing her excitement. She managed to keep serious expression and stopped watching the tablecloth. Diego was confused now and don Alejandro followed their conversation with interest.

"Zorro wanted recently to break our engagement," continued Victoria. "He said something about other obligations that prevent him from keeping his promise."

The right moment had come. Victoria uncovered the ring, knowing that don Alejandro was watching her closely. Judging by his reaction, she hit the mark. Now all she had to do was to make a frontal attack.

"We didn't finish that conversation," Victoria kept talking and watched as the blood quickly ran from her friend's face. "Will you tell me what you meant? Is Isabel this obligation you told me about?"

The question hung in the air. The silence was disturbed only by don Alejandro who choked on his tea. Isabel glanced from Victoria to her father and back, not knowing who she should observe. At Felipe's face, after a moment of shock, appeared an understanding. And Diego... Diego visibly wanted to vanish. He moved away as far as possible, but he made it too quickly and his chair wavered. Diego caught the table just in time to prevent hard landing on the floor.

He hadn't expected that. Balancing on the chair, which maliciously didn't want to stand still on four legs, or at least he had such feeling, Diego tried to understand what had happened. If he wasn't wrong, and now he wouldn't be sure of anything, Victoria thought he was Zorro. Not that she was wrong, but... Diego finally stabilized the chair and hid his face in his hands. Inhale, exhale, inhale... Victoria knew. Dios, she knew! And not only she knew, but she also decided to tell him in the presence of his father and daughter. Just wonderful! Diego realized that he really feared glancing at Victoria to see how she was taking the news that he was Zorro.

"Diego?" Victoria leaned over the table. She had heard the hiss the young de la Vega let escape. "And don't tell me everything is alright, I saw soldiers shooting at you," she warned before Diego had a chance to reply. Next to her don Alejandro put his tea back on the table and watched his son with anxiety. He was the only one who was surprised, except from Diego that is. One glance at Felipe made Victoria sure that the boy must have known about everything.

"How... how did you find out?" asked Diego finally, when he regained his voice and found courage to look at her. He visibly ignored the question and tried not to see his father's stare. Suddenly Victoria and Isabel looked at each other and began to laugh.

"You have a smart daughter, Diego," replied the señorita merrily. "And is she is this obligation of yours I can reassure you I don't mind," she said. Diego was still shocked and looked as if he didn't know what to expect. Seeing his expression, Victoria couldn't help but smiled. What Zorro must have imagined when he thought about that moment... What was it, that he never dared to tell her the truth? Right now Diego must have been waiting for her to start shouting at him and he was visibly surprised that nothing like that happened.

"Oh Dios..." Diego again hid his face in his hands. Victoria recalled the day when she brought Isabel to the hacienda. Diego had reacted similar then. "Dios mio, are you trying to tell me that a nine-year old unmasked me?" he asked in astonishment. "I managed to play for more than five years, and my Isabel had discovered that in... less than two months?"

Isabel glanced unsurely at Victoria, but the señorita only smiled that she would not betray their secrets. Diego must have seen that.

"No, I don't think I want to know that," said the young de la Vega and sat more comfortably. "I guess I have to be more careful."

"I think so," admitted Victoria joyfully. She thought it would be better not to tell Diego that Isabel had discovered his secret in less time. "How is your arm?"

"Better," answered the young de la Vega subconsciously. He leaned against the chair and crossed his arms. "Do you really not mind that..."

"No and I won't repeat myself," Victoria cut him off. "I thought it was obvious, but I can see it wasn't. And I hope you won't be trying again to break our engagement," she added warningly. Diego smiled happily.

"I won't," he replied. "But you will have to give me back the ring so I can propose on you again. If you want it, of course."

"Papa, Victoria will want," interrupted Isabel. "She has already told you," she pointed out with childish firmness. Diego laughed helplessly in surrender.

Don Alejandro stared at his son and slowly accustomed to the news. His Diego had already changed when it showed that he was a father, but what Alejandro had just learned was the biggest revelation. His son, his Diego was hiding more than some love affairs from his student times. The elder de la Vega couldn't tell what shocked him more – the fact that he was living under the same roof with Zorro and didn't know about it, the awareness that he was so blind or maybe the fact that his son, asked so many times about wife, had in fact a fiancée. Don Alejandro looked at Diego, then at Victoria. They were looking at each other, Diego with hope over his surprise, Victoria with joy. Señorita Escalante had just said that she would not agree to any engagement breaking. Diego was so happy because of that, but he could not yet believe it. The elder de la Vega wanted to ask his son a few questions, but he didn't know what to start with.

"I guess the governess won't be needed," he murmured only, but Diego didn't hear him.

**The end**

**A/N**: I had an epilogue for this story, but I started writing a sequel, so this epilogue makes no sense. I'm afraid it will take long before I finish that second story and I'm afraid it won't be so cheerful like this one. I can't write such sweet stories for too long, I prefere more dramatic events. Like Gilberto Risendo perhaps...


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